Harry Potter and the Secrets Untold
by TheHouseKey
Summary: Story not centered around foreign exchange students, they are part of the plot, though...OotP spoilers...beware. i tried my hardest to make my OCs nonmarysueish so please forgive me if they come off that way...Summary inside!
1. Harry's OWLs

**Introductory Chapter for Harry Potter and the Secrets Untold **

(Hmm…I wonder how many millions of stories have this title…)

_Summary_ - Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts...Oh, the rapture...but something's very different. For one, there are four exchange students from every corner of the world. Two girls, two boys, each going to different houses. How will they cope? What to do with them and the new DADA student-teacher who is more than what he appears. (he's exactly who you don't expect!;-) ) Plus, a terrible plot has been brewing since the aborigines discovered sinister creatures and the trees that aided them…how will everything add up?

Hello. I see you have found your way into the first story of my series. Everything I write is Post-OotP. Please, beware, there are spoilers lurking behind every corner.

Disclaimer: I own four students and a professor…that's all I'll ever be able to own. I don't even think I own them…Harry, Ron, Hermione and the rest of those beloved characters were not figments of _my_ imagination. They will always be JK Rowling's.

I tried my hardest to make my OCs original and not Mary Sue-ish or Gary Stu-ish. I might jump around a bit, but when I wrote this, I was an amateur writer. I still am, but I've gotten better by reading other fanfics over the last few months. Thank you to all who posted fantabulous stories! You've really inspired me. And now, for the narrator of our story, Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, the Funness!

_A stranger approaches you in the night,   
__She looks you straight in the face,   
__As she says, "Listen to me,  
__I'll tell you a story,   
__I can take you to a different time and place." _

_She is the Funness,   
__Don't you scoff at her name,   
__Her label makes her not who she is,   
__Just like the cover gives not the book its fame. _

(A/N: Fina-freakin-ly I edit this thing…sorry about any discrepancies from before…like the Gryffindor Door House affair…I really tried to change it, but it was being stupid…:-p)

* * *

It was one of the darkest nights Privet Drive had ever seen this summer. All of Surrey was experiencing a sudden blackout. In one of the houses, a resident was looking out his window, sighing heavily at the thought of the next month and a half.

His name was Harry Potter and he was fifteen years old. Hair like charcoal grew skewed atop his head. His bangs almost covered his glasses that were the windows to his stoplight green eyes. He wasn't very tall, but that never bothered him, for because he was the way he was, he could play his favorite position in his favorite spot. You'd think, from the look of him, that he'd be a very normal person. You'd be wrong.

Of all his normal appearances, there were things that just weren't normal about Harry Potter. For one, he had a lightening bolt shaped scar on his forehead, and Harry Potter was a wizard. His destiny and past are most unusual as well, even in the wizarding world.

He walked to his window when he noticed an owl, his owl, awaiting entry into his room.

"Hello, Hedwig," Harry greeted as he opened his window.

Hedwig answered with a click of her beak. She stuck out her leg, as if telling Harry to get his letter off her leg.

It was from one of his best friends, Hermione Granger.

'_Dear Harry,_

_I hope you're well. Do not try to contact me in any way after this letter. I'm sorry but I'm going to be unavailable for quite some time. I hope you won't be too angry. I mean, of course, I didn't think you would be, but I wanted you to know that I wish you a very happy birthday, even though I'm a little early._

_Tell Ron I said hello, will you?_

_Love from,  
__Hermione_'

Though he'd thought this letter odd, he wasn't angry with Hermione. He didn't even know why she would think he would be mad at her.

'_Okay, so…maybe last year I was a tad moody and difficult…_' he realized.

Before Harry went to sleep, he emptied his mind as practice for Occlumency.

These days, at the Dursleys' house, Harry's aunt, uncle, and cousin were on tenterhooks when around him because of the threat the auror, Mad-eye Moody, made to their family if members of the Order of the Phoenix ever even guessed Harry was being mistreated. It reminded Harry sadly of the summer of his third year, once the Dursleys found out Harry's godfather was a mass murderer, which wasn't the truth, anyway.

'_They don't have to worry about him, now…_' Harry thought darkly as he reminisced about just a couple weeks ago. His godfather had fallen through some sort of veil, after he'd been cursed by Bellatrix Lestrange. Everyone thought him dead.

Harry had come to terms with his grief (not as well as he hoped, though,), but that didn't stop him from being resentful from time to time.

His cousin, Dudley, was actually being nicer to him, and not, as Harry had thought in the first place, because of Mad-eye. Perhaps Dudley realized Harry had _saved_ his life last summer, rather than endangered it.

The Dursleys still had no idea why Harry insisted on watching the six o'clock news. Harry knew it would do no good to tell them. They had enough to worry about without thinking about a madman trying to kill all the muggles and Harry.

Despite everything that happened in the last year, Harry still couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was, after all, his real home to him.

Nothing really changed between the dates when he got Hermione's letter and he got his OWLs.

'_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_We are pleased to announce that you have been selected for a Student-Teacher Defense against the Dark Arts class under Professor Blade for Gryffindor sixth years. We acknowledged your position last year in an organization called DA, and that your teaching abilities proved themselves about a month ago when a few of your students showed extreme progress._

_Enclosed are your grades from your examinations._

_Potions = O-  
__Charms = E  
__Transfiguration = E-  
__Divination = D  
__Defense Against The Dark Arts = O  
__History of Magic = A  
__Care of Magical Creatures = E  
__Astronomy = P  
__Herbology = E_

_OWLs received = 7_

_Your new preparatory classes are listed below._

_NEWT Preparatory Potions (taught by Professor Snape)  
__NEWT Preparatory Charms (taught by Professor Flitwick)  
__NEWT Preparatory Transfiguration (taught by Professor McGonagall)  
__NEWT Preparatory Defense Against the Dark Arts (taught by Professor Blade)  
__NEWT Preparatory History of Magic (taught by Professor Binns)  
__NEWT Preparatory Care of Magical Creatures (taught by Professor Hagrid)  
__NEWT Preparatory Herbology (taught by Professor Sprout)_

_Additional Classes picked because of career choice:_

_So you want to be an auror?  
__Occlumency (taught by Professor Dumbledore)  
__Instruction on what to teach for DADA (taught by Professor Blade)  
__Illustration of Auror Training (taught by Professor McGonagall)_

_On another note, you are now Quidditch captain of Gryffindor House. I expect to win the Cup, again, this year, Mr. Potter._

_Hope you enjoy your holiday,_

_Minerva McGonagall,  
__Deputy Headmistress_'

"Yeah!" Harry exclaimed quietly as he saw he was going to be quidditch captain, and teaching Defense against the Dark Arts. Surely, Dumbledore had to have had a say in the Student-Teacher position. As he read the rest of the letter, he was shocked by the O- he received in potions. He thought he'd done alright, but he knew Snape didn't allow anyone to continue his class unless they got an O on their OWL. Harry was slightly annoyed that he couldn't pick his own additional classes and which classes he dropped or saved. He would have dropped History of Magic.

He was almost positive Hermione got enough OWLs to do anything, and Ron would have done as well as he.

Once again, he cleared his mind as practice, and went to sleep.


	2. Birthday Presents

The date was July thirtieth and Harry was up late, again. He couldn't seem to sleep normal hours. Of course, his aunt and uncle didn't wake him up when they wanted him to, anymore. They'd even discarded his alarm clock, explaining that, 'since he's not doing anything, he might as well stay asleep.'

Harry silently disliked this, because then he was going to get used to sleeping at odd times, making his sleep patterns disagreeable at Hogwarts, where he couldn't sleep away all hours of the day.

Harry couldn't tell what time it was, what with the Dursleys taking his clock, and his watch was garbage from going under the lake, so he couldn't tell if he was sixteen, yet.

Harry walked to his window and opened it, expecting owls any minute. Sure enough, four owls were on their way, right into Harry's room.

One of them was a snowy owl, Hedwig, and one was a big odd looking barn owl, the official undercover owl from the Order. One was a school owl, from Hogwarts, and the other was a very tiny owl, Pig, Ron's owl.

Hedwig carried nothing. Harry had known that she would have no reply. He deliberately sent Hermione a letter just to see if she would answer.

The owl from the Order had a brown package with a note from everybody. Harry opened the card, first.

'_Dear Harry,_

_Happy birthday! We hope you like the gift Remus picked out for you. You put all your books in it and say, "_Libera Slight,_" while pointing your wand at it, and it gets smaller and lighter. To take a book out, just open it and the curse is lifted._

_Tell your aunt and uncle that they don't have to worry about us coming for them. If you're still having problems with dreams, we'll talk with Snape again, or maybe even Professor Dumbledore. We look forward to seeing you a little later in the summer._

_Sincerely,_

_Everybody_'

Harry opened his present and found a regular bag, colored in red and gold, with a label that read, '"Libera Slight," _will take away books' mass, both with size and weight._' 

The Hogwarts owl had candy and pies, that Hagrid had made, and Harry's school letter.

Ron's owl had a golden wrapped package. It was a bit large for him, seeing as he was about as big as a scop owl, maybe even a little bigger. Harry unwrapped the gift and inside was a golden wizard's chess set. He wondered how Ron ever got enough money to pay for it. He took out the card.

"_Dear Harry,_

_Happy birthday! Dad's going to come get you tomorrow (August first) at five thirty. We learned two years ago not to ask the muggles about it. Don't worry about Hermione. She's doing fine. She's not going to be at my house this summer.  The World Cup was supposed to be held here, but Dad said that America had a valid argument about why they should hold it, so that's not going to be here._

_Don't let those muggles keep you down._

_From,_

_Ron_"

Harry smiled as he remembered his visits to the Burrow. The Weasleys were the nicest people Harry had ever met, with one exception. Percy Weasley, though now totally convinced that Voldemort had returned, had not apologized to his family. Harry was still feeling particularly sour at the thought that he had even mentioned to Ron that he should stop being friends with Harry.

Harry shuddered to think what the rest of the family would have done to get the money for his chess set, but then again, Fred and George could have easily paid for it. Apparently, their joke shop was doing marvelous.

Harry laid down in his bed, and, after thinking he had the best of friends and emptying his mind, he fell asleep.

"Are you going anywhere this summer, boy?" Harry's uncle, Vernon, asked him when he finally woke up the next day.

"As a matter of fact, I am," Harry replied.

"Back to that one house you went to a couple years ago?" Vernon pushed.

"Yes, and maybe other places," Harry added.

"When?" Harry's aunt, Petunia, asked.

"Tomorrow at five thirty. I'm pretty sure they're borrowing vehicles, this time," Harry mentioned.

"Good," Vernon grunted. He remembered the last time a wizard came to pick Harry up, on which day, his living room was made into a total disaster.

Harry was left alone the rest of the day. He decided to write a letter to the Order, to tell them he was going to Ron's, just in case they didn't know.

"_Dear Everybody,_

_I am doing quite well this summer, thanks to you. The Dursleys have left me alone, and my cousin has not bullied me once, this holiday. I think they even remembered my birthday. They talked about something that happens on it, besides me turned a year older. Thank you for the birthday present. I have a feeling I'm going to need it. I'm going to Ron's, in case you didn't know. So maybe I'll see a few of you there. The dreams haven't been bothering me for some time, now._

_Hope you're okay,_

_Harry"_

He sent the official owl off with it because it still hadn't left. Harry suspected that the Order told it to stay with him until it got a response.


	3. Back to the Burrow, Again

The next morning, Harry actually woke up early and began to pack. He was finished at about four o'clock. He waiting downstairs with his things until five thirty.

A green car drove up to the Dursleys' driveway and Arthur Weasley stepped out. Harry greeted them and Mr. Weasley got his trunk into the car. Ron was waiting for Harry in the back. The two of them chatted all the way to the Burrow.

Harry walked into the Burrow, and immediately, Mr. Weasley had someone's head in his fireplace. He looked rather old and scraggly.

"Bad news, Arthur," said the unknown head.

"What is it, now, Otis?" Mr. Weasley asked him.

"There's a newspaper, not the _Daily Prophet_, but someone else, who's going to try to write Harry Potter's life story."

"Don't tell me _The Quibbler_…"

"Actually not. Some American press said they had the right to run a story like that. Those Americans and their rights," Otis sighed.

"That can't be such a bad thing, now, can it?"

"It wouldn't be, if they didn't want to know every little detail. From Harry's grandfather's mysterious female friend from overseas, to Harry's  current girlfriend. And they keep bugging different sections of the Ministry! They'll be at your department, next, wanting to interview you about the car you lent Harry…"

"You and I know very well that I didn't _lend_ Harry and Ron that car. They took it. How do you know about Harry's grandfather."

"Never-the-less, something needs to be done. His grandfather had mentioned her a few times. You could….raid the press's stand…something to get them out of the Ministry's hair!"

"I don't do raids just to get rid of people. That's not my department. Talk to someone else about it, like the _Obliviators_. I'm sure they'll be more than happy to escort the press out of the building," Mr. Weasley demanded.

As Harry overheard this, disbelief shot through his system. '_My life story?' _ he thought, _'But, why? What's so interesting about what little they know, still?' _He changed the topic in his mind, and began thinking about how Ginny was going to help the Gryffindor team win the cup this year.

(A/N: Hey, guys…I know this is a little short, but I kinda screwed up the chapters and I don't feel like going through _all_ that again. Oh, well…but since it's Christmas vacation, the chapters might be a little quicker in coming, eh? You would think so…you would think so….jk! The next chapter might be here right away….I'll just have to see. Have a very Happy Christmas Vacation! SCHOOL'S OUT!! WHOOOO HOOOO!!! ^_~)


	4. The Most Dreary of Places

"Harry, want to go to Fred and George's shop?" asked Ron.

"Sure."

"We'll have to go by Floo powder."

Harry sighed at the thought of the annoying way of transportation. He hated it.

"Wait a few minutes, then follow me," Ron instructed.

Harry nodded and waited for Ron to disappear.

"Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes!" Ron commanded.

Harry stood there idly for a couple seconds before his patience wavered, and he decided to go. He took off his glasses and grabbed a pinch of Floo powder. "Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes," he said uncertainly. He fell into the most dreary of places. Everything was a shade of gray and the place smelled musty and old. There was no shopkeeper, but a few items of merchandise had been displayed on the grimy counters.

'_What is this place_?' thought Harry, '_I must have said it wrong, again._' Harry dusted himself off as best he could, replaced his glasses, and walked to the front counter. On it was a sign, and a bell. The sign read, '_Ring bell for service if you have traveled by Floo powder._' Harry pressed the bell and was immediately covered in ice cold water. The letters on the sign then began to change. '_Now then, you are clean enough to enter.'_ Purple smoke started to omit from the shelves and obstructed Harry's vision.

When the smoke cleared, there was no longer an old worn room, but a colorful, bright room filled with every joke you could imagine. Books and other things were flying everywhere. Streamers were falling, yet whenever you'd think you'd be able to catch one, it would go back up to the ceiling. That ceiling was very, very high up. A sign was facing down, towards the floor. It was a blackboard with letters in green chalk. '_Sponsored by Harry Potter,_' they read.

Though he was drenched, a smile tugged at the corners of Harry's mouth as he scanned the room. He turned his head as he heard a familiar voice.

"Welcome, Harry, to the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes!" one of the twins proudly introduced.  He was wearing a G on his shirt, so Harry had assumed it was Fred. Ron had told him about the jokes the twins played on the adult customers. One of them being; Fred would wear a G, George would wear an F, and then say their names were Gred and Feorge.

"Harry! Hello. We were wondering what Ickle Ronnie was going to bring you," commented George as he ruffed up Ron's hair. He came from behind a brilliantly colored door. It looked like a flat, fake hall, like someone painted it. But George opened it and closed it as thought it were real. From what Harry could see, that door led into their stockroom.

"What do you think, Harry?" Ron asked.

"It's absolutely amazing!" he responded in awe. The three brothers glowed with pride. Fred and George often asked Ron to help out with new ideas.

"Filch has his list of banned items, you know. Dumbledore wrote us saying that he tried to put every single item on it. He gave up at about the one thousand nine hundred thirty-fifth one and just said 'anything that can be bought at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes,'" Fred stated smugly.

Harry couldn't help but laugh at their thinking. If they annoyed Filch, the caretaker at Hogwarts, their job was done.

Harry decided to look around. The large room was very orange and green. Random bright colors floated about the in clouds of mist. Harry was browsing when his eyes lay upon an old sheaf of parchment, almost identical to the Marauder's Map. "What's that?" he asked, pointing to it.

"Oh, that? Er…That's a work in progress. It's our creation. Sort of like what we gave you for Christmas in your third year, but different. Ron told us about what it had done to Snape, so we tried to create out own little insulting piece of parchment. You write on it, and it insults you. Go on, try it out," George suggested.

Harry grabbed the parchment off the shelf and the pen that was near it. _My name is Harry Potter_, he wrote. When his ink fully seeped into the page, new words appeared.

"If Mr. Potter could get his puke green eyes, if you could call those deformed spheres eyes, out of this parchment, we would all be okay."

"If you're the boy-who-lived, then you-know-who must be the weakest muggle in the universe!"

"If Scruffy Hair would leave us alone, we could come up with better insults!"

"They're not very good," Harry criticized.

"We know, but, as we said, it's a work in progress. It's our first, and, we think, our last."

Harry went back to walking around and he picked out some items, such as stink pellets and fake wands. He especially liked the ton-tongue toffee, because they used it on his huge, unruly cousin two years ago. It had caused quite a stir in the muggle home. Once he had his arms full of stuff, he went to Fred to ring it up.

"Just take them, Harry. You paid for all of this. You should get something back," said Fred.

"Thanks, you two."

"You should get home. Mum might start to suspect something," George whispered, as though Mrs. Weasley was listening.

"Right. Well, thank you. Hope to see you two at Christmas," said Ron as he walked into the fire place.

"Bye!" called out Harry. "The Burrow!" And Harry Potter disappeared in a flash of green fire.

The two of them got back to the Burrow to find that Charlie was home for the summer. He brought a little box with him. He put it on the floor and sat down at the table.

"Charlie, what is that?" Mrs. Weasley asked her son once she sat down.

"Why, Mum, I thought you'd never ask." He went to fetch the box and set it on the table. He unhinged the box and opened the lid. It was then they heard a very low growl. More than a couple pairs of eyes widened.

"Oh, my goodness," Mrs. Weasley breathed as Charlie took out a scaly little winged lizard from the box. "A new breed of dragon!" he announced.

"Charles Weasley, you get that thing out of this house! You know how much trouble that'd cause!" his mother cried out.

"Calm down, Mum. This kind was specifically bred as pets," he assured her.

The little dragon looked like a snake with legs and wings. It had a variation of colors. Its main body color was red, like the Weasley hair. The little dragon fit into Charlie's two hands perfectly.

"What's it called?" Harry asked.

"Buto, or winged snake."

"Awesome, except," Ron started, "do they come any bigger?"

"Sadly not. They wouldn't make very good pets if they did, now, would they?"

"Right," Ron mumbled.

"Do they come in more than that color?" Ginny asked.

"Yes. In fact, there's one dragon for every witch or wizard. It takes their 'symbolic' color and the secondary colors. It's quite neat. Ginny, we think this one's yours. We found it sulking about in the desert. We call them soul mates. It has the same color eyes as the soul mate," Charlie explained. "We think we've found Harry's. It's gold and red with green eyes, but it's been eluding capture for the last four months."

"You're sure they'd be favorable pets?" Arthur asked his eager son.

"Of course, Father. We've studied this breed for over a year. We're almost positive it won't get any bigger, and the fangs aren't sharp enough to the pierce the skin, and they contain no venom," he assured.

"_Hel-lo_, there," the Buto said to Harry.

"Hi," Harry said back.

The Buto cocked its head to one side, looking surprised. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes."

The Buto made a noise that Harry thought to be its way of giggling. "What's your name?" it asked.

"Harry. Do you have a name?"

"The men who found me were calling me Ginny." Harry noticed the Buto was trying to make its way out of Charlie's hands.

"I see…" said Harry as he cleared his throat.

"You're a very handsome human," the Buto commented with what Harry thought to be a smile.

"Er…Thanks," he replied sheepishly. He stopped talking to it once he noticed everyone staring.

The next couple of days, Harry played quidditch with what few Weasleys were there. Ginny was a good chaser, Harry noted. He personally tried her out, and told her that she was now on the Gryffindor team; this time, as Chaser.

Harry was deliberately avoiding the Buto, as it tried to follow him everywhere.

After the first week, Bill came home. The next day, an old friend showed up. Fleur Delacour had arrived at the Burrow. "'Ello, Mrs. Weazley," she said as she walked into the house.

"Fleur, darling, how are you?" Mrs. Weasley asked brightly.

"I am doing fine. May I talk wiz Bill?"

"Right out back, dear."

Fleur walked outside to see Bill and Charlie tousling with the Buto. They managed to get it away from Harry, to his relief.

"Fleur!" exclaimed Bill. He got up from what he was doing to go over to her and hug her.

"'Ello, Billy. It 'az been a long time, no?" she purred.

"Too long for me," Bill responded.

They went inside, and that's when it started. Harry never saw them again, except for food, and watching them eat was a bit uncomfortable. It could turn _Ron's_ appetite into nothing in the blink of an eye, and he had the appetite of an ox. But besides that, Harry was still a bit disappointed to leave the Burrow for school. The feeling dissipated when he realized that he was going home.

(A/N: *Phew* Talk about your long chapters! Ah…well…if anyone were reading this I'd say they deserved it, but since no one is… Oh, and one thing; um…all chapters are not going to be this long. I tossed around the idea of splitting this in two, but it didn't really appeal to me…yah so..um…PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS SO FAR!!! And read "Here Without You." It has nothing to do with this, but some people are telling me it's a good story. If you want a bit of a cry, that is. Ok! I've rambled long enough! I'm going to go! School's almost back in…*sniff sniff* crap…^_~)


	5. The Foreign Exchange Students

Harry, Ron, and Ginny went through the barrier and entered the train. Ginny went to go look for her other friends, and Ron went to the Prefects car, leaving Harry alone for two hours. He walked around to go save Ron a seat. He walked in and out of a couple compartments before he picked one. Ron came back, and as he was just getting settled they were interrupted.

"'Ello," said a pale-haired girl as she walked into the compartment, "Can I sit in 'ere wiz you?"

"Sure, why not?" said Ron.

"I am Ashley Coultier and I am a foreign exchange student from France," the girl explained. She seemed like nothing but a wisp of a human, like she was not all there.

"I'm Ron Weasley, and he's Harry Potter," Ron introduced.

Harry didn't even begin to notice the newcomer, not even when the door opened, again.

"Is Ashley in here?" a very tanned boy asked.

"Julio, you must learn not to follow me everywhere," Ashley giggled.

"I'm Julio, from South America," he greeted. His hazel eyes set off a real contrast with his brown skin.

"I'm Ron; he's Harry."

"Hola." Julio sat down and began talking animatedly with Ashley.

"Excuse me, but I am afraid there is not enough room for me in any other compartment." Ron looked to Harry to see if this other person had irritated him. Harry just looked silently worried about something, not bothering with anyone else.

"I'm Ron; he's Harry," he said, sounding like a recording.

"I am Antonio. I live in Spain. My family's blood runs long with wizard lineage." He set his gray eyes on everyone in the room before sitting down.

"That's nice," Ron mumbled.

With the slightest curl of the lip and flick of the head from Antonio, Ron knew exactly what kind of a person he was. His arrogance seemed unmatchable, if, of course, you exclude one Draco Malfoy (who hasn't made an appearance, yet, thankfully). Harry and Ron knew they weren't going to be able to talk in secret. They got up to walk to the next compartment, but someone was in there that Harry didn't want to deal with.

"Hello, Harry," said Cho.

"Erm…hi," he muttered.

Ron understood his look and slight nod, and he kept walking to the compartment after that one, Harry following close behind.

"Malfoy," Ron snarled as closed the compartment door behind them. (There he is.)

Draco Malfoy was talking to a girl with wavy dark brown hair that fell below her shoulders and round brown eyes who was sitting in the walkway, with one leg curled under the other. Her face was oval-shaped, and she had high cheek bones. She had the slightest dent in her chin that gave her a look of defiance.

Her face was sort of pretty, but not something you take second glances at. No, what distracted Harry and Ron from coherent thought for about two seconds was her build. She had an hourglass shape in the most complete sense. She was top-heavy with thick thighs and a relatively trim stomach. They couldn't tell her height by the way she was sitting.

When Harry regained coherent thought, he could tell she really didn't care about what Malfoy was spouting off about. Ron and Harry didn't bother walking past, but they went back to their compartment, (with Harry ignoring Cho) only to find it empty.

"Who do you suppose that was with Malfoy?" Ron asked as they sat down.

"No idea," Harry replied offhandedly, "She was trying to look interested in what he was saying. But it looked like she was bored, or feeling something unpleasant. She's probably one of those annoying foreign exchange students." He really wasn't paying attention. He was thinking about something a little more pressing than Malfoy's new friend.

"What's wrong, Harry?" questioned Ron after a minute of silence.

"It's Hermione. Her last letter was in the beginning of July. She hasn't written since. Now she seems to not be on the train. I'm really concerned about her," he explained.

"Didn't I tell you about the new program?"

"Obviously not." The irritation in Harry's voice was clear.

"Well, Hogwarts is part in sponsoring a foreign exchange program. It's where four Hogwarts students are to go to different countries to learn about wherever they're at. Then, the other countries are to send one student each to spend a year at Hogwarts. If the student from wherever likes it here, they can graduate next year with us. Hermione's gone to a different country. In return, we're to get a same gender student from­­­­— "

That door opened again, cutting off Ron's sentence. "Can I sit in here?" a girl asked tentatively.

Harry scowled at her, really annoyed someone else had interrupted their train ride. "Sure," he replied derisively.

Ron noticed it was the girl from before; the one who was talking to Malfoy. "Eh…you mean that? Or were you being sarcastic?"

"Hey, Ron. One of those exchange students actually noticed I don't appreciate their presence," Harry remarked coldly.

She suddenly looked furious. "Dude, lay off me, alright? I seem to be pissing everyone off, today. I've been kicked out of too many compartments to take any more crap from people!"

"Calm down," said Ron softly to both of them. "You can sit here if you've no other place to go," he added to the girl.

"Maybe I don't want to, if _he's_ going to hate me," the girl snapped. She switched a gray pet-carrier from her left to her right hand as she pointed at Harry. A black and white ball of fluff was mewing from inside the carrier.

Harry sighed. "I'm not going to hate you."

"Right…"

"I'm sorry, okay? The other three exchange students were really irritating. My other best friend is missing. I was just about to find out about her when you came in here."

The look of anger vanished and was replaced by one of understanding. She smoothed out her shirt that read, 'boo!' beneath her robes before she said anything. "I'm sorry, too. I'm kind of snappish. I haven't done anything, and two people have yelled at me and told me to get out. Three, if I count you. I…I don't take to that too well." She sat down hesitantly. They were silent for five minutes before Ron couldn't take it anymore.

"You're not from around here, are you?" Ron tried to make conversation.

She didn't look too thrilled with the question. "Nah. I'm with the foreign exchange program, just as this kid insinuated."

"_You're_ the American, then? Or are you from somewhere else?" Ron inquired.

"USA! All the way!" the girl said with life as she shot her arm straight up to stress her point.

Her enthusiasm for her country caught Ron off guard, so he had to think for a minute to get back his train of thought.

"Know what I realized?" noted Harry.

"What?" said Ron.

"We've been sitting in the same compartment for about fifteen minutes, and not once have we introduced ourselves." The girl answered before Harry did. "I'm Elizabeth Pentillo." She stuck out her hand.

"I'm Ron Weasley. You already know about him—,"

"Um…what? I don't know him," Elizabeth said as politely as she could while she shook Ron's hand. Harry and Ron could see that she was starting to become more comfortable around them, despite the earlier riff.

Ron's mouth opened in surprise. He tried to say, "You really don't know anything about him?" but it wouldn't come out.

"I'm Harry Potter," Harry answered for himself, shaking Elizabeth's hand. "Nice to see that there's at least one person who doesn't know a thing about me."

"What makes you so special that everyone can recognize you? Famous or something like that?" Elizabeth questioned. Her eyes lay on the lightening bolt scar on Harry's forehead.

"Something like that," Harry smiled.

"You're sure you don't know," Ron said.

"I'd know if I knew this kid from somewhere. Seeing's how I don't, then I'm pretty sure I know nothing about him except his name."

It then dawned on Harry the reason why the American press wanted to do the article on him. Apparently, American citizens had no clue about him. "You mentioned before you were kicked out of a couple compartments. Why?"

"Some rich snob kicked me out once he found out my mom was a muggle." Harry knew instantly Malfoy was the one to kick her out of the first car.

"What about the other compartment? " Ron asked.

"Never mind." Elizabeth rolled her eyes, as though it were totally ridiculous.

"Well, I could tell you what every single witch or wizard knows, or I could give you every single bloody detail. I don't know you well enough to give you every detail. If I told you what everyone else knows, you'd just ask 'Why?' to everything."

"True, true," Elizabeth nodded.

"So, I'm going to get to know you a little bit better before I decide whether you're friend or foe." Harry hoped to Merlin she understood and didn't take it the wrong way.

But she just shrugged it off while Ron pulled out his chess set. Then her eyes widened. "I'll play you," she offered quickly.

"Alright," Ron agreed, a grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. She had know clue about who won Gryffindor fifty points in his first year because he could play chess, and she was about to find out; the hard way.

She put up a good fight, for someone against Ron, that is. After Ron lost count of his wins, he pulled out his Exploding Snap cards and taught Elizabeth how to play.

(A/N: Okay, then…I guess the chapters _are_ going to continue to be this long…Hmmm…I wonder if I planned it this way…Nah, that'd be giving me way too much credit for something I didn't even do…R&R PLEASE!!! I just want five! Five bloody reviews! Is that too much to ask? Is it, I ask you? Ok…I'm finished rambling…*phew* Next chappie up tomorrow…maybe…possibly, don't count on it…)


	6. Reliving the Past

Harry sighed as he looked out the window. The turmoil in his head was obvious. Should he tell her? Could he trust her? Malfoy might have set her up as a trick.

 "Something on your mind?" Elizabeth asked, starting Harry out of his trance.

"Just trying to decide on something." He kept his eyes out the window.

"Yeah, I kind of figured." Elizabeth touched his arm. Harry turned his head to look at her. "You don't have to tell me, but if you do, I swear to you; I will not tell a soul," she promised as she removed her hand from his arm. Harry felt a pit in his stomach fill up. He stared into Elizabeth's eyes and felt like he could've trusted her with his life.

"It's not for the faint of heart," he warned.

"If I was faint of heart I wouldn't be traveling to an unknown place in the middle of a war."

Harry nodded and took a deep breath. "Here it goes," he began. "It all started when my dad was at school. You know, Hogwarts. He had three best friends, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. They each had different nicknames. Three were unregistered animagi. My dad was Prongs, because he could turn into a stag; Sirius was Padfoot because he could turn into a dog; and Peter was Wormtail because he could turn into a rat. Lupin was Moony, because he was a werewolf. The four of them were mischief makers. They even wrote a map of everything on the Hogwarts grounds. It has little dots that mark a spot where a person is, and it shows every single secret passageway out of Hogwarts. They also had an invisibility cloak, which helped them on their escapades…" he continued.

As he related the rest of the story, Ron would nod occasionally, as if approving the story. Once and awhile, Elizabeth would interrupt with a comment. When Harry told her about the Chamber of Secrets, she'd said, "You must be the real Godric Gryffindor. Only the _real_ guy could take that sword out of a tattered old hat." She hadn't mentioned how she knew about the founders of Hogwarts.

When Harry told her about the Department of Mysteries, she liked the badge they gave him and his group. "Harry Potter, rescue mission, huh? That makes it sound like a spy movie or something." She listened to that story with a smile, until he came to the part about Sirius.

Harry went on until he came to the present day. Ron stopped nodding toward the end, because he hadn't known anything about the prophecy or any of that.

"_Ho-ly_ jeez," said Elizabeth with wide eyes.

"I told you," replied Harry.

"Isn't that like almost being told you're Spider-Man or Superman or something? Like you _have_ to save the world?"

"I'm not sure who those people are, but, alright. I guess. Either Voldemort does it to me, or I do it to him."

"No one should have to shoulder that kind of responsibility," she said compassionately as she patted Harry's back.

Talking about it all opened old wounds, like Sirius, Cedric, and his parents. Harry knew the list would get longer. That was the way it was with war. He didn't feel too much like speaking after that.

"Hello, dears. Would you like anything off the trolley?" A plump witch with a food cart stopped in their compartment.

"How about three of those things…The chocolate frogs?" requested Elizabeth. The witch told Elizabeth the cost and she paid. Harry and Ron bought a little bit of everything.

"Please tell me these were not once real," whimpered Elizabeth at the sight of the moving chocolate.

"What is it with people who grew up with muggles and chocolate frogs?" Ron sighed. "Of course they're not real. It's only a spell. They stop moving once you chew on them. You get a card with each one. It has a famous witch or wizard on it."

"I'm surprised they don't have a wizard card for me, yet," Harry joked.

"I got Ptolemy," said Elizabeth.

"Oy! I need me one of him," groaned Ron.

"You can have it." Elizabeth handed the card to Ron and then turned to Harry. "So, what do you guys do for fun?"

"Quidditch," Ron replied with a mouthful of chocolate frog.

"I think I heard of that. I guess I'd like to play."

"Really? We only have two chasers left, and no beaters. Would you like to try out, if you're in Gryffindor?" Harry inquired. For the first time since he explained his existence, his eyes brightened and his face came back to life.

"I think you'd seriously have to talk with your captain before I go and do that."

"You're looking at the Gryffindor captain," Harry said with an arrogance Elizabeth wasn't expecting from him.

"Cool. Sure. I'd love to try out. Not that I'd be any good…But, at least, I'll know I tried." Elizabeth smiled.

Harry made a mental note to remember who might be a new member of the team. He then went back to normal. He started thinking about try-outs. He hoped Dumbledore would let him pick the day and time.

"What time do you usually get to Hogwarts?" Elizabeth inquired.

"About now," Ron said, looking at his watch.

"Now!?" Harry repeated. He glanced at his and Ron's muggle clothes.

"I'll be in the next car when you guys finish getting dressed," Elizabeth offered as she went into the compartment in front.

When they were done, Harry stuck his head in the car Elizabeth said she'd be in. "We're in our robes, now," he informed her. She smiled back and told the girl she was talking with that she'd see her later.

"Who was that?" Harry asked curiously.

"Her name's Annabelle. She's another American. She's going to be in her first year," Elizabeth explained. The two of them got Ron and walked off the train.

"Firs' years and foreign exchange students, this way! Firs' years and foreign exchange students!" called Hagrid.

"Harry, who's he?" Elizabeth was just a little intimidated by his size.

"That's Hagrid. Don't worry, he wouldn't hurt a fly," Harry reassured.

"If you say so." She didn't look totally convinced, but she left Harry and Ron and walked over to Hagrid.

"Hope you make it to Gryffindor!" Ron yelled after her.

"Me, too!" she shouted back, waving at them.

Harry watched as Elizabeth, the exchange students, and the first years were led to the dock, filled with little three person boats. He took his eyes away from them to pet one of the thestrals before he entered the carriage. He inhaled deeply as he took in the scent of wet hay. The carriages pulled up to the front hall of Hogwarts and stopped. Harry and Ron got off and walked inside with the rest of the other students.

When they were seated, they noticed the exchange students weren't there, yet. Harry's eyes traveled to the front of the Great Hall. They first rested on the professor in the middle, Albus Dumbledore. He was talking to Professor Snape, a slimy git, in Harry and Ron's opinion. It wasn't about the Order, because Dumbledore was smiling and laughing, while Snape just looked sour, as normal.

The double doors opened, shushing all of the students up in a second. Professor McGonagall walking into the Great Hall with a line of students trailing behind her. The exchange students were up front. Harry picked out Elizabeth, and noticed she looked determined to not look afraid. Ashley, Julio, and Antonio looked much worse for the wear. Ashley looked like she fell into the lake. She had Hagrid's great coat hung over her shoulders.

"This is the group of foreign exchange students who are to be participating in Hogwarts, this year. They will be joining the sixth years." She stopped before the Sorting Hat, waiting for it to begin its song.

_The school of Hogwarts,_

_Treasured and of old,_

_Must not turn anyone out,_

_Because of the coming cold._

_The cold I speak of is evil,_

_Looming, not subsided,_

_And, yet, I must do the horrible thing,_

_Of making Hogwarts divided._

_Whether or not you go to Slytherin,_

_Really doesn't matter, anymore,_

_Neither Ravenclaw, nor Hufflepuff,_

_Or even Gryffindor._

_Sure, you may be smart,_

_Or you may have daring do,_

_You may even be sly or loyal,_

_But I know it's wrong to separate you._

_But this is my purpose,_

_To sort young people is my destiny,_

_We all have one, we must all follow it,_

_Who am I to lead a mutiny?_

_Come, young first years,_

_And those from overseas,_

_Come put me on your heads,_

_And discover your destinies._

(A/N: What? It looks like I'm writing for nothing. Oh well. Someone's got to find it sooner or later. *Shrinks into chair*  Next chapter up soon…possibly…if someone gives me a reason to…)


	7. The Insomniacs

After the song, Professor McGonagall unrolled a large sheaf of parchment and picked the hat up. "The foreign exchange students shall be sorted first. Coultier, Ashley!"

Ashley shuffled to the stool and sat down. McGonagall put the hat on her head and the entire room waited for the hat's decision.

"Ravenclaw!" shouted the hat. Ashley took off the hat and went to sit with the Ravenclaws who were clapping for her.

"Martinez, Julio," was next. He was sweating. The hat took two seconds before it announced, "Hufflepuff!"

Cheers erupted from the Hufflepuff end as Julio went to sit down.

McGonagall looked down the list. "Pentillo, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth gulped as she walked to the stool.

"She's going to Slytherin," Ron muttered.

"What makes you say that?" Harry asked, stunned.

"She's very determined to not look afraid."

"That doesn't necessarily mean she's going to Slytherin," Harry doubted.

The hat was quiet, as though considering. Harry knew from experience what Elizabeth must be going through, sitting there, while the hat talked to itself about your characteristics and evaluated where you'd be best. The whole room held their breath before, "Gryffindor!" was heard. The Gryffindor end broke out in much louder cheers than Hufflepuff, making Julio look sullen.

"Good job," Harry murmured to Elizabeth as she sat down next to him. "Almost thought you were going to Slytherin."

"I don't deserve the 'good job.' I just put the rag on. There was no way I was going to Slytherin. The hat said I was too soft for Slytherin," Elizabeth commented. They waited until "Ramirez, Antonio," was sorted into Slytherin to whisper about how hungry they were; (Ron) how excited they were to be there; (Elizabeth) and what to do about the mean-looking DADA teacher (Harry).

After the feast had started, a seventh year, Katie Bell, came up to Harry. "I'm terribly sorry, Harry, but I've a feeling I'm going to need more time for my studies, this year."

"Sorry for what?" Harry asked, confused.

"I'm resigning from my chaser position."

He accepted that, and then realized he was _four_ players short, instead of three. He sighed and turned back to his friends. The three of them talked, laughed, and had fun until it was over.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" started Professor Dumbledore. He stood up, ready to tell the students a couple things for the year. "This year, the quidditch try-outs will be decided on by the captains of any houses that need try-outs. The Forbidden Forest is out of bounds for everyone. In the event the school should be in lock-down, Hogsmeade will still be permissible. For those who have the signed slips, of course," he added as an afterthought. He mentioned Filch's elongated list and the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Blade. Then he bid everyone good night.

"Think Elizabeth should follow the prefects?" Ron asked Harry.

"No, I think she can come with us," he replied.

They took Elizabeth to the Common Room. As soon as she'd entered the room, her eyes went as big as saucers.

"What's wrong?" Harry inquired.

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong! This place is amazing! Magic and mystery around every corner!" she exclaimed. She spun in a circle, taking in everything in the room.

"It's only the Common Room," Ron commented.

"Exactly! Imagine everything else if this is 'common!'"

Harry thought this was very weird. Elizabeth was supposed to have come to Hogwarts from a different magic school. Surely her school must have had everything Hogwarts had. Why was she so delightedly surprised by it?

Parvati and Lavender led Elizabeth up to the sixth year girls' dormitory. Ron and Harry retreated to theirs, and Harry tried to sleep.

About an hour later, he started to dream. He was in the ministry of magic, again. He ran down to the Department of Mysteries and relived everything that had happened. He never left the black veil. He woke up, bathed in sweat, right before he knew he was going to see Sirius, again. He shook his head and went down to the Common Room to think. He was startled to see a fire lit. "What are you doing down here?" he asked, not knowing who it was.

"I was trying to fall asleep," a groggy voice moaned as Harry saw a figure stand up and stretch. He heard a cat meow in protest. He walked closer and saw it was Elizabeth.

"Sorry, but I woke up and saw the fire down here. House elves put it out when everyone goes to sleep." She didn't seem to care about that. "What's kept you awake?" he asked.

They both sat down on the couch in front of the blaze. Immediately, Elizabeth's cat jumped back onto her lap. She started petting him as though it were second nature to her.

"I don't know where to begin," she replied. In the hand that wasn't stroking the feline, she was twirling a type of gray-green rose.

Harry thought it looked oddly familiar.

"Are you okay?" Elizabeth noticed Harry was still sweating.

"Yes, I'm fine," Harry answered a little too quickly. He wiped his face off on his pajamas.

"You know, you can tell me if something's bothering you."

"I know."

"Then why do you keep it bottled up? It's doing no good staying down, building up until you explode at some unsuspecting shmuck."

"What's a shmuck?" Harry asked, trying to change the subject.

"Innocent bystander." Elizabeth rubbed her burning eyes. "But back to what we were talking about before. Are you sure there's nothing you want to talk about…get off your chest…whatever?"

"Maybe…I just don't know who I can trust, anymore…"

"Well, if it'll help; you can always curse me if I tell anyone," Elizabeth suggested light-heartedly.

"You wouldn't, would you?" Harry looked worried.

"No. I'd probably forget everything tomorrow morning." She was being dead serious. She stopped giving attention to her cat and watched Harry intensely.

"I had a dream about my godfather," Harry relented.

"He fell through some sort of veil, right?"

"Yeah. He was dueling his cousin and she cursed him, making him fall down into the veil."

"Poor dude," said Elizabeth, not talking about Sirius. She rubbed Harry's back and looked him straight in the eye. "Have you ever considered the fact that he might not be totally gone?"

"No. Remus told me that he was gone and there was nothing I could do about it."

"He might not be dead." Elizabeth prayed she was giving him hope.

"That's what I'd like to believe. But I don't know what curse Bellatrix threw at him. He might be stunned in some weird world without any thoughts on how to get out," Harry explained.

Harry would've continued, but Elizabeth's cat gave an indignant howl at being forgotten while Elizabeth listened. "Forgive Lester. My parents didn't want him staying home. He bothers them too much. Now they've sent him with me, so that he can bother _me_," she informed with an affectionate grin to the black and white feline that was stretching itself across the couch, and the people sitting on it.

They talked about Sirius for awhile longer before Harry's curiosity about Elizabeth's rose was becoming unbearable. "What's the flower for?" he asked, indicating it.

"My mom told me that my grandmother gave it to me," Elizabeth replied.

"May I see it a moment?" he requested.

"Sure." Elizabeth extended the hand that held the flower.

Harry tried to take the gray-green rose, but the moment he touched it, something similar to an electric current started in the middle of Harry's chest, coursed through his shoulder, down his arm, into his hand, and through his fingertips. The current was then visible by a silver light searing throughout the stem, into the leaves, around the thorns, and into the petals.

The silver light then exploded through the middle of the rose. Both Elizabeth's and Harry's eyes widened. The light flooded everywhere, as it seemed to pour into Harry and Elizabeth. Harry felt his face go red. Then suddenly…it stopped. The light was pulled back into the rose and then faded out. Harry couldn't bring himself to do anything but stay still. After two minutes, he found he could speak. "What just happened?" he asked.

"I have no freaking clue," Elizabeth replied in a daze.

Harry's and Elizabeth's gazes locked and they couldn't take their eyes off each other. They didn't even notice what they were doing.

Harry saw Elizabeth react first. She shook her head, while her cheeks were flushed. Harry himself found his head and blinked. He felt the blood rush to his head as he got up, muttered, "Sorry," and walked back to his dormitory. Now he knew he wasn't going to get back to sleep, so he decided to write a letter to the Order. He sent the quite a few galleons, and two pieces of parchment; one was to be attached to something special, and the other was for them. When he sent Hedwig off with them, he lay back in bed, and closed his eyes, trying to think of anything else other than the rose, the girl who owned it.

Harry awoke in the morning, not even noticing he fell asleep in the first place.

(A/N: Okay, so…two chappies…one day…don't expect this every time, people…;-)…Especially since school is starting back up Monday…. muttering Dirty rotten slimy stupid son-of-a-ends muttering Oh…you're still there…heh…XD)


	8. Classes

This was the day they had to get back to work. Harry had been told by Elizabeth that she had quite a few prep classes, even though she didn't take the OWL tests. Her classes were potions, charms, transfiguration, care of magical creatures, Herbology, defense against the dark arts, and divination. Her extra class for her career was care of magical creatures. When Harry and Ron were in History of Magic, Elizabeth would be in divination. Then when they gave up those two classes for two weeks of each semester, Harry and Ron would get Auror Training, while Elizabeth took the advanced care of magical creatures.

"Think we'd have Trelawny back this year?" Ron asked as they made their way to breakfast.

"I doubt it. Firenze's still not allowed back into the forest and he's got to be able to do something," Harry replied.

While they were eating, Harry noticed Cho giving Elizabeth dirty looks. "Elizabeth, who was the second person who yelled at you?"

"The Asian girl who keeps trying to kill me with her eyes."

"Why'd she yell at you?" Ron inquired.

"Well, she started out being nice. You know, 'Where're you from? What're your hobbies? Who're you replacing?' Stuff like that. I asked her how they determined people for houses, because Malfoy had said something about houses. She explained it all and then asked me which house I thought I was going into. I came to the same result that the hat did and I told her. A second later she got this ugly scowl on her face. I asked her what was wrong but she just told me to go find another compartment. I left and walked straight into your compartment."

Ron shot a look at Harry and shook his head. "Harry, you really can pick 'em."

Elizabeth was confused over this comment. "What do you mean? He really can pick 'em? Do you like that girl?"

Harry blushed as he went back to his food. He muttered something that sounded like, "Used to."

"Yeah and she's a mental faucet! Every time she was with Harry she'd cry over her last boyfriend."

"What happened to him?"

Ron explained about Cedric and they finished their breakfast. They got up to go to their morning classes. They led Elizabeth to classroom 11 and then went to History of Magic.

After wistfully looking out the windows for forty-five minutes, Harry and Ron went to go see if divination was over.

"Is there anything I can do to make your stay better?" Harry heard Elizabeth ask.

"No, young human, but what seems to be devotion to the old ways and ancient beasts that you possess has indeed brightened my day and made me see that, if there are more humans like you, the world still has hope left," was Firenze's reply with gratitude.

Harry saw Elizabeth walk out of the classroom looking positively happy, like she had just gotten a real treat.

"I think he likes you, Elizabeth," Ron teased.

"Oh, _puh-lease_! A being of superior intelligence, understanding, and, of course, a being of myth, being attracted to a mere human who can't comprehend half the things he says? I don't think so."

"Bet you wished he was," Ron laughed.

"Not really," Elizabeth defended.

Both of them seemed to not notice Harry's eyes flash and his face go red. His knuckles were white from clenching them into fists, but when Elizabeth denied it for the fifth time, his tension eased. Even Harry didn't understand his reaction.

Forgetting about what just happened, they went to Herbology.

"Today, I know this plant's a little simple, but it's just a review. You will have to pot and plant Nightshade for part of your grade in this class. After it's done growing for examinations in June, you're to cut it and use it in one of Professor Snape's basic Nightshade potions to prove you grew it correctly," jovial Professor Sprout explained.

The class went about gathering soil, seeds, and pots. Harry saw that Elizabeth had buried her seeds to shallow. "Erm…Elizabeth?" he said gently.

"Hmm?" she replied as she looked up from her plant. Harry almost expected to see her tongue hanging out in concentration, she was planting the thing with such intensity.

"I think you dug too small a hole."

"Eh? Oh, right. Oops…growing plants never was my thing…holy sh— Sorry!" A ceramic pot fell to the ground and shattered. Dirt was all over the place. Embarrassment turned to anger in a split second.

"Mr. Potter, would you kindly assist Miss Pentillo? Seems someone's a little on the clumsy side today," Sprout mentioned.

Elizabeth blushed, muttered something about insolent plants, and went back to potting a whole new seed.

The three of them finished their classes and then started heading back to the Common Room.

"Do you know a lot about potions?" Ron asked Elizabeth.

"No. I have to take extra classes to catch up with you guys. Why?"

"Because Harry and I always got help with potions from our friend, Hermione. Since she's gone, I…I mean, we don't know what we're going to do," Ron explained.

"Sorry I can't help. Wish I could."

Indeed, Ron had been asking her questions like this throughout the whole day. When Elizabeth sat in a desk, eyes lit up, back totally straight, it wasn't hard for Ron to think of her as Hermione's replacement. But Harry knew better. He knew she wasn't anything like Hermione.

"When do we have Defense against the Dark Arts?" Elizabeth inquired.

"This Wednesday," Harry replied automatically. He had been gearing up to this point when he was going to be a student teacher for his year and house. He only hoped he would be as good as Remus.

Before they could get to the Common Room, Harry was cornered by someone. "Hello, Harry," the ghost greeted him once he was cornered.

Harry looked at Ron, who was holding back a laugh. "Oh, hi, Myrtle," Harry said awkwardly.

"You haven't been in to visit me for at least two years, Harry. I've missed you," complained Myrtle.

"But you're in the girls' lavatory. I can't go in there."

"You told me that last time. You don't even go into the prefects' bathroom anymore," Myrtle insisted dolefully.

Harry saw, out of the corner of his eye, Elizabeth and Ron whispering. Myrtle saw it, too. "You're talking about me," she said as she turned to them. "You're not that Granger girl," she remarked to Elizabeth.

"No, I'm not," Elizabeth agreed.

"Well, then don't make me ask you who you are and what you're doing with Harry." Myrtle glared into Elizabeth's eyes.

Ron couldn't keep in his laughter any more.

"I'm Elizabeth. I happen to be one of Harry's friends. If you don't like it, then you can just go jump in the lake," she snapped, making herself louder than Ron's laughing.

Moaning Myrtle's eyes watered. "Fine," she sniffed, "I will." And, with that, she flew off towards the girls' bathroom, bawling.

"Don't you know that the toilets she haunts go straight into the lake?" Harry reminded.

"Oops." Elizabeth looked like she was really sorry. "I've got one heck of a big mouth."

"Harry, I think she was getting a little desperate. She _never_ leaves the lavatories."

"Oh, shut up." Harry glanced at Elizabeth to see how she reacted to that, but she seemed to not be bothered by it. She was just a little embarrassed that she had forgotten certain things.

They got back to the Common Room completed their homework for the day, at least, Harry and Ron did. Elizabeth was writing in her spiral notebook.

"Why aren't you doing your homework?" Harry asked.

"I can do it, later. I've got all week, don't I?" Elizabeth responded nonchalantly.

"Not for the potions essay," Ron informed.

Elizabeth just shrugged her shoulders. "I'll do it before I go to bed."

At about seven, Elizabeth left. She said not to tell anyone that she was taking 'make up' classes, because, supposedly, since she was a foreign exchange student, she should already know all these things. She did not tell them why she had to take make-up classes. They'd never believe her.

(A/N: To my one and only recent reviewer, Naja something or other…You know who you are, Mica! ^._.~. Oops…did I just give away your secret identity? O.o ^.___.^.  Thanks for taking the time to read and review this!!! It means a lot to me. Now, if only the person I emailed would say they'd edit this hunk of junk, then maybe I might get more reviews…Hmmmm… Anywayz…Tell me what you thought and tell me what I could make better! Please! I am always in need of getting better!!!!!!! ^.^ Next chapter might be quick…may not be…not sure if I wanna copy stuff or write new stuff. *if I write new stuff, I'm not doing the chapter for here!!!* Well, have fun with life…HAPPY SUNDAY! MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU!!! THE MASS NEVER ENDS! IT MUST BE LIVED! SO LET US GO FORTH TO LOVE AND SERVE THE LORD! AMEN! THANKS BE TO GOD! ALLELUIA!!!)


	9. The Odd Couple of Letters

The next morning, two owls landed in front of Harry, Ron, and Elizabeth. One was a big, odd-looking owl with a long, narrow package for Elizabeth, and one was a black owl for Harry. Harry opened his letter first.

'_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_I am aware of the fact that you will be teaching your class in defense against the dark arts this Wednesday. Meet me at my office; fifth floor corridor, third door from the left, right after all your classes; so we can discuss the lesson._

_From,_

_Professor Blade_'

Harry let the other two read it, and they both shrugged their shoulders. Then all three of them looked over at the staff table and examined the new formidable-looking defense against the dark arts teacher.

He looked particularly cruel with milk white skin, like Snape's. He had an emaciated face, like Sirius had when he first escaped Azkaban. His eyes were a pale blue, almost silver, and they were almost slits. His curly dark brown hair gave a kind of youth to his face, but the fact that it couldn't soften his appearance made him look all the more harsh.

Harry, Ron, and Elizabeth tore their eyes away and looked at the next owl.

"Open yours!" exclaimed Ron to Elizabeth. He was already guessing what it was. Elizabeth opened the box to find a Nimbus 2003. She took out the information card and read it aloud.

"The Nimbus 2003 is the last model of the Nimbus. It can keep in toe with the Firebolt, but barely. A Firebolt can reach the speed of 150 mph in ten seconds, while it takes the Nimbus 2003 fifteen seconds. Protected by the Spell Rebound Curse, this broom is the safest in the country."

There was more on the back, but it looked handwritten. Elizabeth continued to read aloud. "'Hey. I thought this might be useful for the tryouts.' Well that's weird," Elizabeth commented. There was no signature.

"Who do you suppose sent it?" Ron asked.

"Might've been my parents, or someone else in my family. Might've been my friends from back home―"

"Tryouts are tonight, at six thirty." '_Just keep your mouth shut and let her think what she wants,_' Harry thought to himself. He saw Elizabeth grin like a maniac and he had to smother his own smile. It had cost him a pricey bundle, but if she was as good a player as he thought, it would be well worth it. '_That's not the only reason you got it for her,_' a little voice in Harry's head reminded.

'_Yes, it was,_' Harry thought stubbornly. He thought it preposterous, thinking of Elizabeth like that, it would be like thinking of Hermione like that.

'_Not quite._'

(A/N: This has got to be the shortest chapter I have ever written…O.O Oh well. Naja607!!! I got it right! The only reason I said your identity was because you told everyone that this was a self-insertion fic. Some people don't like that!!! So, now if anyone reads the reviews before they read the story, they'll think, '_Great! Just another day dream written with no talent what-so-ever._' No matter what you say!! Oh, well. Now that I've said it was a self-insertion fic in here, everyone who ever reads this will know…darn…*shrugs shoulders* Rambling? That's my middle name…^._.~.  When do you read this? At school? Cuz I updated last night and I saw your review this morning and I was like "Oh my God she stayed up all night waiting for me to update!!!!" Now, I know that's not true…Thanks for being such a great friend ^._.^)


	10. The First Tryout Session

The day flew by, and Harry was apprehensive for a couple of reasons. He was worried about Blade. He hoped he wasn't as mean as he looked. The tryouts were making him excited. Right after all of the day's classes, Harry followed the letter's directions to Blade's office.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter," Professor Blade welcomed in a creepy manner before Harry could even completely walk through the door way.

'_Even his voice sounds like Snape's_,' Harry noticed. "Good evening, sir."

"Now, am I to understand that you have a few students in your year and house that do not know how to produce a Corporeal Patronus?" Blade asked softly.

"Yes, sir," Harry answered. He mentally went over a list of sixth year Gryffindors who weren't in the DA last year. There weren't many. Then he remembered Elizabeth wasn't there last year. To Harry, it was hard to think that Elizabeth only started this year. It seemed like she had been following them since their first year.

"I want you to review that. Dumbledore wants everyone from fifth year and up to know how to produce a Corporeal Patronus. I want you to give them a lecture on dementors first; what they have been good for, what serious mistakes have been made concerning them, and so forth. Sound good?" Blade inquired congenially.

This change of tone surprised Harry and he answered, "All right with me, Professor," in the same tone.

"Good, good. I…" Blade's face fell as though remembering something unpleasant. "For the next class, I would like you to teach on vampires. Your class is very behind on guessing the signs of a real vampire, a half vampire, or just a living corpse."

"Sir, if you don't mind me asking, what is a half vampire?" Harry asked curiously.

"A half vampire is the offspring of a vampire and a human. It is very rare, and those certain people are less of a danger to society, though they share equal amount of shunning with full vampires," Blade explained bitterly.

Harry thought it was just his imagination, but he saw Blade's eyes turn colors. They were now a deeper blue.

There was an uncomfortable silence for about two minutes before Blade chose to speak again. "Well, in two weeks, we will have another little chat, Mr. Potter. Hopefully, we can set a year path for your class, then. Am I correct in assuming you have a quidditch session to attend to?" Blade questioned pleasantly.

"Yes, sir, Professor," Harry responded.

"Good bye, then, Harry Potter," Blade said as Harry walked out the door.

Harry didn't know what to make of the new defense against the dark arts teacher. He returned to the Common Room to try to calm his nerves. He figured he'd tell Elizabeth and Ron about Blade after the first set of tryouts.

At exactly six o'clock, Harry set out to the quidditch pitch. He was so sure they would have great players this year, but you never know.

Harry was out there for ten minutes, just flying. He had grabbed his invisibility cloak, just in case he wasn't supposed to be out there early. While he was flying, he saw someone else enter the pitch. He saw the person get on a broom and try to kick off. The person left the ground, but wasn't completely successful, and Harry flew lower to see who it was. '_Of course it would be Elizabeth,_' he thought sarcastically as he shook his head. The only person trying out whom he bought a broom for, and she didn't even know how to fly. He moaned as he took off his cloak.

Elizabeth stifled a scream when she saw someone appear out of nowhere. "Who's there?!" she asked breathlessly.

"It's just me. Harry," he assured as he flew closer.

Elizabeth sighed with relief. "I didn't know who you were," she said truthfully. "Did you use your invincibility cloak?"

"My _invisibility_ cloak? Yeah. I didn't know if students were allowed on the pitch before the designated time, and I had to fly around a bit before people started showing up." 

"Oh."

"Would you like help with flying?" Harry offered.

Elizabeth gave a little, embarrassed smile. "Could you? Would you? I'm kind of not getting it," she explained. "You obviously saw how suck-y I was at it." Her eyes flew to the ground in shame.

"Don't worry about it. No one can fly as soon as they get on a broom for the first time," Harry comforted.

Elizabeth shot him a look that said quite clearly, "Liar."

"Let's land, and I'll show you how you're supposed to mount and kick off."

So, for the next twenty minutes, Harry told Elizabeth the basics on flying on a broomstick. Then people began to gather.

"Ron, want to try the would-be Chasers?" Harry asked.

"What do I do?" Ron looked confused.

"Have them try to score on you. Those who do well, talk to me about them." Harry now looked at Ginny. "Help me with the Beaters?" She nodded.

"Everyone!" Harry called out to the group. "I need your names." He got everyone's names and cleared his throat. "You are here to see if we could find better players than ever before. It will be hard, but we're just looking for potential today." He paused for a minute. "All those who want to be Chasers, follow Ron. Those who want to be Beaters, come to Ginny and me."

They all split up and the Chasers took half the field for the goal posts. The Beaters were on the other side. After about twenty minutes, Ginny pulled Harry to the side. "Harry," she said, "Are you okay? You're not being fair to these people. They deserve your full attention, and you keep looking at the Chasers."

"Sorry," he muttered. He didn't know it was that noticeable. He shook his head and went back to evaluating the possible Beaters. When Harry pretty much knew who would go on to the second tryouts, he signaled Ron. Ron was finished, too.

Everyone met in the middle, making a circle with their brooms. Harry was about to make an inspirational speech about how Gryffindor would win the cup when he saw Elizabeth  move out of the circle and fly behind him. Confusion whirled in his mind as he turned around to see a bludger heading right at him.

Elizabeth caught it right before it hit him, but the bludger, obviously not wanting to give up its freedom yet, pulled Elizabeth directly up, then continued to drag her around the stadium.

Harry and Ron trapped the bludger between them and the three of them flew to the box of quidditch balls on the ground. Ron muscled the bludger back into its box and chains.

"Malfoy," Elizabeth and Harry muttered in unison as they saw a green blur fly to the ground. Sure enough, the sniveling little weasel flew right behind them with a beater's club in hand.

"Go back, Malfoy," Elizabeth warned. As much as she disliked the Slytherin, she did not like confrontation.

"Sod off, Mudblood," was Malfoy's biting response.

Malfoy, what a pleasure to see you," Harry began in a dangerously nice voice as he pulled out his wand. "I've been looking for a dueling partner. Care to oblige me? _Wingardium Leviosa_." The club flew out of Malfoy's hand and stayed to rest over his head for two seconds.

"I'm not a mudblood," Elizabeth said angrily. All thoughts of pacifism were lost as she shot daggers at Malfoy with her eyes.

After that statement, Harry moved the club from over Malfoy's head to his back, and made the club whack his back. While he didn't fall off (much to everyone's disappointment), it sounded like something broke. Malfoy shot one last leer and flew away as fast as his Nimbus 2001 could take him.

"Nice save," remarked Harry to Elizabeth. "Thank you."

"It wasn't anything. Since I did that, can you have another tryout, you know, for Beaters? I really want to be on the team," Elizabeth requested. She thought she did a bad job at Chasing.

"I'll see what I can do," Harry promised.

The next day, after Harry spoke with Ron and Ginny, he would post the names of the people who would be going on to the second tryout.

(A/N: Well….thank you, Naja607 for reviewing _again_. Honestly, do you liked being talked to in Author Notes? Cuz I'll stop if you think this is getting boring…Whatever. Not much of a cliffhanger, but, hey…*shrugs shoulders* Have fun waiting for the next part…^._.~)


	11. An Eventful Day

Harry was oddly thoughtful in the morning. Today was to be an eventful day. After potions, Harry would be teaching defense against the dark arts for the first time. Then, while everyone was at lunch, Ron, Ginny, and he would talk about who would be on the Gryffindor team. When the would-be players finished their lunch they were to go to the Common Room for a quick peek to see if their names were on the list for the second tryouts.

Gryffindor managed to not lose many points during potions. Snape didn't outright yell at Harry, and nobody blew up anything. Harry thought this was a good omen. He entered the defense against the dark arts classroom and felt a lump in his throat. Blade was sitting in the back of the classroom with a sheaf of parchment and quill in hand.

Harry got his notes together before all of the sixth year Gryffindors were there. "Erm…Hi. I guess I'm going to be teaching defense against the dark arts occasionally, this year." He paused as he looked around the room. "Let's start out with taking notes on dementors. Then, if we get through those without much hassle, we'll work on trying the Patronus spell, and as I know we'd just be reviewing, for I think most of you were in the DA last year, we do have a new student who probably doesn't even know what a Patronus is."

He glanced at Elizabeth. She was shrinking in her chair at his assumption that she didn't know what a Patronus was. She didn't know, but one could see she was very insecure about what she knew and didn't know.

Harry's eyes conveyed a silent apology as he started his lecture. "Dementors were discovered around the time aborigines were walking the earth. They were thought to be zombies, but zombies could be easily vanquished. One tribe thought of one thing to destroy all dementors and the trees that aided them, but in order for them to be rid of those two things, one of their magical processes had to be done and then stopped. It was a difficult process because it could destroy the world if not stopped…"

Harry kept loosing his place in his lecture notes. '_Stop thinking about all of them looking at you,_' he demanded of himself. He shook his head and kept going. He didn't notice whether he was doing a good job or not, but he just wanted to get through it without garbling his words.

They took notes for a half hour before Blade cleared his throat to say something.

"Yes, Professor?" Harry asked.

"Perhaps you should start on the spell," Blade suggested.

Harry sighed in relief. He now know how much lecture-giving took a toll on the teachers. "Right. Now, put your quills and parchment away, and take out your wands. This is just like the DA, last year."

Harry waited until everyone was ready before he said more. "Before we start this, think of a really happy memory, or something that's going to make you happy, like something you're looking forward to. Then, once you've got your memory, repeat after me. _Expecto Patronum_," he instructed.

The room was quiet for a couple seconds while people thought of their happiest memories. "_Expecto Patronum_," was then heard throughout the room.

A silvery wisp of cloud erupted from Elizabeth's wand as a canine emerged from Ron's. It kept barking at anyone who came too close to Ron.

Harry walked around and coached the ones who didn't know what they were doing. He secretly noticed Elizabeth was messing up…a lot. It was like she hadn't done magic as long as everyone else had.

"Got a happy memory?" he asked her.

"Yeah, but every time I say the curse, this other memory clouds my sight and I can't concentrate on the happy memory," Elizabeth explained.

"What is it of?"

Elizabeth suddenly looked very uncomfortable. "Just…you know…yelling and stuff…" she stammered.

"You know, there's this technique to clear your mind. It just might help," Harry suggested. He was speaking of Occlumency.

"How do you do it?" Elizabeth seemed to be interested.

"Well…Close your eyes, take a couple deep breaths, and clear your mind. Kind of like meditating. Don't think of anything, though. It's sort of difficult, but see if you can do that."

She did as she was told and her eyes were closed for five minutes before she collapsed. Harry knelt down beside and touched her arm.

His vision went black as he felt like he was spinning. He then found he could see, but it reminded him of the time he saw Snape's life. Various scenes flashed before his eyes.

He heard sirens and a woman crying. He saw the woman who was crying. She had a white bandage around her head. It was stained with blood above her left eye.

The background changed, and he saw a plane explode from the terminal. He saw a younger Elizabeth fall to her knees, crying hysterically. "I saw it!" she yelled between sobs that racked her whole body. "I saw it!"

It changed again, and he saw a dark haired man; presumably Elizabeth's father; scream, "You're not worth anything, Miss I-Can't-Get-on-the-Honor-Roll!" in anger.

Then Harry heard something that sounded like Trelawny when she was telling a real prophecy.

"_THE ONE WITH THE SCAR SHALL BE YOUR FREEDOM, BUT ANOTHER PERSON, WITH ANOTHER SCAR, IS YOUR DEFEAT… BEWARE, FOR THE ANSWER SHALL BE LEAST EXPECTED. SHOULD YOU CHOSE WROING, THE TROUBLE WILL ONLY CLIMB TO A NEW HEIGHT…THE DARK LORD WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH TO DESTROY THE WORLD. THE TWO WITH THE SCARS MUST COMBINE THEIR SYMBOLS OF THE ULTIMATE POWER TO DEFEAT THE DARK LORD, SHOULD THE WRONG SCAR BE USED…THE DARK LORD…MUST BE STOPPED…_"

Harry and Elizabeth opened their eyes at the exact same time. Elizabeth jerked up, and ended up hitting Harry in the head.

"Oh, jeez! I am so sorry!" she said quickly.

"It's alright," Harry mumbled as he rubbed the spot that she hit. "What was that?" he asked.

"I don't know. I wasn't thinking of anything, like you said, and suddenly it felt like someone was invading my brain or something. I tried to stop them, but I couldn't cut off the link directly because something else was there, too…"

Harry finished the class and then took Elizabeth to Professor Dumbledore's office.

"Am I going to be in trouble for this?" Elizabeth asked, not really worried if she was.

"No. It wasn't your fault. If the blame lies with anyone, it lies with me. I was the one who told you to open your mind—"

"That's what that was?" Elizabeth asked with indignation. "I was opening my mind to whoever?"

"Lemon drops." Harry turned to the gargoyle. He sighed when it didn't move. "How was I supposed to know you were that sensitive to clearing your mind?"

"What exactly happened to my head?" Elizabeth's voice was deadly soft. Her eyes were narrowed in anger.

"Dumbledore will explain everything," Harry said quickly as he thought of the next password. He had to come up with one quick, or else Elizabeth might just do something they'll both regret later. "Acid pops." To Harry's relief, the gargoyle jumped out of the way.

Harry quickly went up the stairs, hoping Elizabeth was following behind him. He knocked on the door to the Headmaster's office.

"Come in," a voice said from beyond the door.

Harry opened the door and walked inside. Elizabeth came in behind him, and he heard her gasp of surprise as she looked around the room.

"Well, Harry, Elizabeth. What can I do for you?" Professor Dumbledore asked as he sat down at his desk.

"Sir, we had a…problem in defense against the dark arts," Harry explained.

"What happened?" Dumbledore inquired.

"Elizabeth was having trouble producing a Corporeal Patronus and I told her to empty her mind, as I was told to do for Occlumency. She looked like she was doing it right for about five minutes. Then she fainted. I tried to rouse her by touching her arm, I suddenly found myself—"

"In her memories," Dumbledore finished.

"Exactly. How did you know that, Professor?" Harry cast a perplexed glance at the headmaster.

"I have gotten wind of a large attempt in Legilimency. This attempt seems to be wide-spread. Voldemort has learned how to project it and it's still very faint. Because Elizabeth has never mastered, or even _tried_ Occlumency before, she was an easy target," Dumbledore explained.

"But why did I see her memories?" Harry persisted.

"That, Harry, is an explanation for another day. I believe you have Herbology right now. Give Professor Sprout this note," Dumbledore took his quill and wrote on a sheaf of parchment. "It informs her of why you are late. Hurry along," he finished.

"Yes, sir," Elizabeth and Harry murmured in unison.

"Oh, and Harry?" Dumbledore said before they exited the room.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Don't tell anymore classmates to try Occlumency."

"Sorry, sir."

They left the office and traipsed to the Green Houses in silence. After Herbology, Harry met Ron and Ginny in the Gryffindor Common Room, and wrote out the list for the people competing in the second tryouts.

Everyone concerned about this was in the Common Room a full twenty minutes before classes restarted. One of the would-be Chasers, James Kepler, glanced at the posted list.

_Chasers Beaters_

_James Kepler Julie Sans_  
_Elizabeth Pentillo John Kepler_  
_Emily Mason Denis Creevey_

_Second Tryouts to be held Saturday at 8:30 pm. All of Gryffindor house please attend._

"What's this all about?" he asked Harry angrily.

"What?" Harry asked back.

"What's _she_ doing on here? Even Luke scored once!" James complained. Luke was the other would-be Chaser. James spit the word 'she' as though it were a disease.

"Elizabeth did catch that bludger that was lobbed at my head," Harry reminded.

"Big Deal! The only time she tried to shoot, Weasley caught it!" James roared.

"Why are you so upset, Kepler? If you thing it's so unfair, then beat her in the second tryout. Remember, all of Gryffindor should be there. I'm even asking McGonagall if she would like to attend," Harry informed him. He was already devising a whole new game to determine the players.

(A/N: I'd write more, but this is the longest chapter I've written…You'll just have to wait… Well well well…what do we have here, Naja607? Another reviewer? Welcome to the story, Kagome! Thank you for reviewing. No, I am _not _exactly like Elizabeth in here. She is more understanding, and she gets mad easier. I'm way more awkward, if you could even picture that…Yeah…there is some difference between me and her. I am trying very hard to make her Non-Mary-Sue, but everyone's got their good points and bad points. I couldn't make Elizabeth with all bad points…Oh, and Naja607? You're a very bad kid, sneaking on the computer…tch tch…shame shame. shakes head THANK YOU FOR RISKING PUNISHMENT TO REVIEW THIS!!!!! XD!!!!! You've made me so happy. So, yay! I got two reviewers!!! I am so thrilled a couple people don't want me to burn this!! Funness Rambling HouseKey --- my full name ;-) )


	12. American Wiles

Harry got all the quidditch players together the day before the second tryouts. "I've got a way to determine the new players," he started. "It'll be like a real game, but not completely. There will be three teams. Each team consists of one chaser and one beater. We're only using half the field. Ron will be keeper, I will be the referee, and Ginny will be the one and only seeker. In the time it takes her to locate the snitch, the two Chasers with the most points are in. If, at any point in the game, a player is hit by a bludger, that team's beater is out.

"The teams are as follows: Emily and Dennis, they are team gold; James and Julie, team red; and Elizabeth and John, team black. Everyone got that?" Harry asked them.

Everybody nodded and went back to whatever they were doing.

"You know, you really should do your homework. It's Thursday and everything's due tomorrow," Ron pointed out to Elizabeth.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I've got quidditch to worry about. I can't concentrate on school work."

"If you don't do your homework they won't let you be on the team," Harry explained.

"I can do it before I go to bed. You guys are starting to sound like my parents."

"That's because we want you to be on the team if you make the second tryouts. If you do, what happens if you can't play because you don't do your work? That would be so disappointing," Harry said.

Elizabeth sighed and got out her potions essay that she was supposed to have finished on Tuesday.

After the week (Elizabeth actually got her homework in), the second and final tryouts were held. Professor McGonagall was there, supervising. Or so she said. Everyone had different colors to support.

Harry was above the field, watching everything like a hawk. He say the uniforms enter the field. First year Annabelle Lewis wanted to commentate, as though it were a real game.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the deciding tryouts for the Gryffindor team!" said Annabelle. All of Gryffindor were either in the stands, cheering for whatever color was given to them.

"I don't want any fouls!" Harry called out. He kicked open the chest and the bludgers flew up. He then grabbed the quaffle and threw it up at the Chasers.

James grabbed the quaffle brutally and sped off in direction of the rings. Ron was advised who to throw to if he caught it. James threw the quaffle with all his might, and ended up making it sail right into Ron's hands. Ron then threw the quaffle to Emily. Emily was about to throw it when it rolled off the back of her hands.

"They're letting the snitch go, now," Annabelle announced.

Elizabeth caught the quaffle from underneath Emily and ducked out of the way as John smashed the bludger, aimed at Elizabeth, right back at his brother, James. While John was doing his job, Elizabeth chucked the quaffle right in the goal where Ron had not been paying attention.

"Elizabeth Pentillo scores! Ten points to black!" Annabelle yelled.

James swore and snatched Julie's club out of his hands and hit the tail of Elizabeth's broom, sending her spinning out of control.

"Penalty to red! Deliberate attack on black Chaser!" Harry called out loudly, much like a spectator. Elizabeth got herself to stop, and took the foul shot. She plummeted to the ground in anger when she missed.

When Ginny got the snitch, a half hour later, the score was forty, gold; ten, red; to twenty, black. Dennis was out because a bludger hit Emily.

"And Ginny Weasley has got the snitch!" Annabelle shouted with excitement.

"Okay, that was good. All of the Gryffindor team will be posted tomorrow, after dinner," Harry explained while all the players were heading towards the locker room. After that, Harry realized he watched the match with more intensity than he had ever known. He started thinking about which players were made of the right stuff to help Gryffindor win that Quidditch Cup. He wanted people with good sportsmanship, so that meant James was out for the Chasers. He had his two Beaters.

So, by process of elimination, Emily and Elizabeth were the two chasers. '_Maybe Elizabeth's on not because of process of elimination,_' he thought. '_If she was anyone else, I still wouldn't want James on the team,_' he contradicted. Harry put up the team roster after Sunday's dinner.

'_The Gryffindor House Team consists of,_

_Seeker - Harry Potter, Capt._

_Keeper - Ron Weasley_

_Beaters - Julie Sans, John Kepler_

_Chasers - Emily Mason, Ginny Weasley, Elizabeth Pentillo_'

"Yes!" Elizabeth shouted in exultation, upon seeing the list.

"That can't be good," remarked James. He strolled in to look at the paper.

Harry, who was waiting for the new players, decided he should tell them about practice. "Quidditch practice will be every Tuesday and Thursday from five thirty to eight o'clock pm."

"You cheated!" called out James to Elizabeth.

"What are you talking about, Kepler?" Ron asked.

"She cheated! Sabotage! She influenced the Gryffindor Seeker with her American wiles!" he accused.

"Honestly, now! That can't be any more ridiculous than saying you did a perfect job of Chasing," Ginny defended.

"What _are_ you talking about, James?" Elizabeth asked him.

"You think nobody notices the looks you two give each other?" James replied loudly, "It's sickening! I think Harry just doesn't know what he feels, but you…no…You probably don't even like Harry more than friend! You haven't even got the decency to say anything to _anyone_, so that they can speculate rather than know the truth—"

"James, would you like to know why I didn't pick you?" Harry asked, oddly calm. He did not like at all what James was shouting. He had to find a way to put a stop to it before he started believing it.

"Sure, why not?" James replied savagely.

"Your major blunder was fouling someone on purpose. I didn't like your sportsmanship out there, James. It was just too reminiscent of Slytherin tactics," Harry explained.

At this, James exploded on about how he'd win the Cup all by himself once Harry was gone. He then stomped up to his dormitory to rage in private.

"Sorry about him," Harry apologized to Elizabeth.

"He doesn't matter. I just hope I don't make Gryffindor lose any games," Elizabeth replied bashfully.

Harry could tell she didn't like being shouted about.

As practices continued, Harry's prediction was becoming a reality. His chasers were doing very well, and only one of them was doing average. Elizabeth still couldn't quite maneuver her broom perfectly. But Harry thought that was due to the unfamiliarity of being on a cleaning utensil. The Gryffindor beaters were unstoppable. '_Not as good as the Weasley twins,'_ Harry thought, _'but that's kind of hard to accomplish_.'

(A/N: Not quite as long as I would like…but I can't add more, it would mess up the chapter structure…Anywayz. Naja607, that's just supposed to be "wrong" not wronging. No, I do not enjoy tormenting you. Dude, I didn't even think of it as a cliffie…whoa…if you hate that cliffhanger, and I didn't even notice it, what's gonna happen when I have major cliffhangers? O.O Believe you me, they're there, but mostly towards the end of this one and the sequel. Heh, the end, where you want to see everything tie in, and that's where I put all my cliffhangers…^._.~  I'm not trying to best myself with the chapters. I'm just telling a story. Believe it or not, that chapter was originally just about defense against the dark arts and first tryouts, but I tweaked it and added more. The Occlumency thing just came from nowhere. It was not in the prewritten version. Originally, I had Trelawny, in a drunken stupor, stammer that out…but I like it better in Elizabeth's memories…Hmmm…but who said it? *Mwuahahahaha!!! Have fun figuring that out.   Kagome…what happened? Not on the computer much anymore? I totally understand. Don't worry, I will still mention you until you review again…^._.^….from Funness Rambling HouseKey --- my full name ^._.~)


	13. The Dream of the Dying Phoenix

As Ron and Harry escorted Elizabeth to Divination, Harry noticed her greet one of the Slytherins.

"Hey Antonio," she waved.

The conceited Spaniard turned his stormy gray eyes on her. "What do _you_ want?" he spat.

"I just wanted to say hi," Elizabeth said innocently. She didn't take his tone personally.

Antonio just _hmphed_ and turned back to the other Slytherins.

'_Could have at least said, "_hi,_" back,_' Harry thought, annoyed.

Ron and Harry watched Elizabeth walk into the Divination classroom, then they turned to go to History of magic.

"You like her, don't you?" Ron asked as they made their way.

"Of course I do. She's funny and I can talk to her and she'd understand. What's not to like?" Harry responded offhandedly.

"I don't mean as a friend, and you know it," Ron said teasingly.

"What do you mean, then?" Harry inquired calmly. He really didn't want to discuss his gut feelings.

"I mean, do you like her like you used to like Cho?" Ron rephrased.

"What would make you think that?"

"The way you look at her. The way you stood up for her against James. The way you look mad when I joked about her and Firenze…I could go on."

"If I liked Elizabeth that way, it would be like you liking Hermione that way"

"Aha! I knew it," Ron declared triumphantly.

"What?" Harry was really confused.

"You just gave yourself away."

"How?  What did I give away?" Harry didn't know where this was going to lead.

"You said if you liked Elizabeth that way, it would be like me liking Hermione that way. And guess what, Harry?" Ron asked in a whisper.

"What?" he repeated.

"I do like Hermione that way."

Harry wasn't too shocked at that, but he was shocked at the fact that, indeed, he had given himself away. He was spared reply as the two of them entered the class.

All the way in classroom 11, Elizabeth was having problems paying attention in class. Today they were just practicing feeling insignificant. Elizabeth's mind was prone to drifting off to uncharted waters.

'_Don't you wish Harry had this class?_' a mischievous voice said in her head. '_Oh, be quiet,_' she thought back to it. She couldn't help it; she began to doze off.

Elizabeth was floating high above Hogwarts castle and clothed in white. There was no light anywhere. There no stars, no moon, and no sun. "_Lumos solem_," she muttered. She didn't have a wand, but it worked all the same. The sky was lit up with a myriad of stars. All was good.

A dark force in the shape of storm clouds arrived. They blocked out all the light Elizabeth produced. Lightening was hitting everything.

"YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE!" she cried out.

An evil voice laughed softly. "Neither are you."

Elizabeth's light faltered behind the clouds. It flickered until it was almost out. A familiar phoenix then flew into view, and with it, a well-known voice and a golden glow. "You belong with us. You belong with us," it whispered soothingly into her ears. The voice sounded oddly like Harry's. It chanted those words again and again. In the background of everything was the phoenix's eerie but beautiful music.

Then lightening struck. The phoenix was hit and it fell. The music and the voice vanished as the phoenix landed on the ground.

As Elizabeth looked down, she noticed that the phoenix was no longer a bird. It was a large, black dog. Then the canine began to take another form; human. She looked at its face, felt a sudden sense of loss, and gasped, for it was…

"Elizabeth!" called Parvati Patil. She was kneeling over Elizabeth, tapping her face.

"That's it. Come back to us," said Lavender.

As Elizabeth's eyes slid back into focus, she realized what she just saw. "No, no," she muttered faintly as she wiped her eyes of her tears. "I must not, no. No, I can't…" she mumbled desperately, "Can't let it happen."

When Elizabeth finally got a grip on where she was, she stayed after class to talk to Firenze. "Do you explain dreams?" she asked him.

"Not usually. Are you in need of advice?" Firenze replied.

"Yes. I fell asleep in class and had a dream I would like to know about. If you could help me understand it, I'd appreciate it."

"This is an odd request, but I shall consult the stars about this dream. Next lesson, I shall give you a time where you and I can speak freely, without any interruptions."

"Thank you so much," Elizabeth exclaimed in relief. She wanted to hug him, but decided against it and walked out to meet Harry and Ron.

"I swear, Elizabeth, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you _fancied_ Firenze," Ron commented as she joined them.

"If you came from my home, from where I live, with my brain longing for _something more_ than my boring life, you'd want to be friends with a centaur, too," Elizabeth explained shortly.

"At least I wouldn't have been ogling him like you were."

Elizabeth's mouth dropped open in surprise. "How can you even say such a thing? I respect him; I like talking to him, and I think he might actually like and trust me back. It's the same way with me and you, but nobody's making fun of us, are they? It's the same way with me and Harry, but nobody's teasing us, are they? I didn't think so. Because me and him are just _friends_, and it's ridiculous to think we'd be anything more!" she ranted.

'_Crap_,' Elizabeth thought. She could literally see Harry taking that remark the wrong way. His eyes flashed dangerously. "Um…" she stammered. "When I said me and him are just friends, I was talking about Firenze."

The look didn't die away instantly, but it did seem to sooth it away slowly. Harry shook his head, baffled by what he'd just felt.

The day went on, and the week went by. Things were as normal as they could be at Hogwarts until the next Wednesday Harry had to teach.

* * *

(_A/N_: Okay, these are quite long now….he he he ^_^

**Naja607:** Why are you sad? I hope your okay, whatever happened! Don't worry, this might be forty chapters at the most…Maybe I don't want anyone in my backyard O.o  lol…^_^

**Rocky235:** Welcome to my small group of reviewers. I really appreciate _all _your reviews. Sadly, I know many people like James. I gave him the same name as this kid in my class who would act like that. *shrugs shoulders* The Gryffindor team couldn't beat up Malfoy in the second tryouts because McGonagall was there…Really think they'd want to get into trouble, again? Umbridge isn't there to revoke quidditch privileges, but Malfoy's not worth detention. Nice to know you like long chapters…but…eh…what are you going to do when I have my really short ones towards the end? *evil grin*

**Kagome:** I told you I'd still mention you until you review again…you see, there is no place to hide…^_^ jk. Hope you review again soon!)


	14. Stupid Questions

All of the Gryffindor seventh years were sitting, waiting for their student-teacher to start.

"Since we did so well on Patronuses, I thought we could start the short chapter on vampires. I need a summary of it before the end of class. I've got to do it, too, so don't be too mad," Harry informed.

The chapter on vampires _was_ very short, and most of the class finished it before half the period was over.

"Now that we're all finished, I was told to ask you a few questions." A couple students groaned at this. Harry ignored it and continued. "What is the difference between a vampire and a living corpse." He looked around the room and chose Ron.

"Erm…" he paused. "A living corpse doesn't know what it's doing. A vampire has a little more control over its hunger. A living corpse is still decaying, and a vampire's body regains strength when fed," he answered hesitantly.

"Nice answer, Mr. Weasley. Ten points to Gryffindor," Professor Blade interrupted.

"Okay then…Next question. How can you tell someone is a vampire?" Harry asked. Only Dean and Elizabeth raised their hands. To make it look not at all suspicious, he called on Dean.

"Their eyes turn blood red when they're about to make a kill. They usually look young but feel old. A vampire has a sense of attracting its victim. It sort of pulls and pushes away at the same time, increasing the magnetism. Some vampires are said to have superhuman strength," was Dean's answer.

"Excellent, Mr. Thomas. Another ten points to Gryffindor," Blade added.

"Right. Last question," Harry promised. "How can you tell a half vampire from a regular person. Elizabeth." He had no choice but to call on her this time. She was the only one with her hand raised.

"A person who is cursed to live the half life has rather odd eyes. Their eyes change color when their moods fluctuate rapidly. They usually don't drink blood, but when they are aroused…" Here Elizabeth paused for effect. "It can lead them to go insane with bloodlust." 

Harry didn't know why, but the thought of half vampires' eyes changing colors made him very disturbed about one of the professors in Hogwarts.

Things went pretty normal. Firenze gave Elizabeth a date, and she almost ran to the classroom.

"Is your dream still disturbing you?" Firenze asked her with concern.

"Yes. I haven't had it repeat itself, but just knowing I had it in the first place…" She trailed off, trying to forget the surge of grief that had flooded her since the dream.

"Please, enlighten me on this dream that plagues you," Firenze coaxed.

Elizabeth told him everything, except for who the man was at the end. She couldn't bring herself to speak of his name to anyone. Firenze took his time before he finally spoke again. He gazed up at the ceiling, trying to read what the dream said.

"Very hard times are coming," he said morbidly. "These storm clouds, did they do anything besides block out your light and speak?"

"Yeah. When they were around me, the air got real cold like. I felt the cold all the way to my insides," Elizabeth explained.

"Then there is the chance they are representing dementors. I've noticed that Mars has the most peculiar conjunction with Pallas and Venus this interval. It is, by far, the oddest thing I have ever seen. This conjunction has some significance here that I can not quite place.

"If your dreams and what I'm seeing on this ceiling say one thing, and only one thing, it is that danger is coming. Dark and hard times such as you have never known, Elizabeth, are ahead for you."

They sat in silence, with Elizabeth contemplating this cryptic revelation.

"Has someone you loved died recently?" Firenze asked suddenly.

"No, why?"

"The phoenix is a symbol of resurrection in most dreams. In your dream, it falls, dies, and transforms into a black dog. Then the dog turns human. Am I right?"

"Yeah…"

"So, if I'm correct, your dream was a reflection of a person you just lost," Firenze explained.

"But I didn't lose this man. I didn't know him. I just felt all these emotions, like it was my fault he died; if it wasn't for me, he'd still be alive; he was my only family; and a whole bunch more that I didn't understand," Elizabeth ranted vehemently. 

"Did someone you're close to lose a loved one?"

Then it dawned on Elizabeth. "Yeah. I know who the man is, now. He's my friend's godfather."

"Complete empathy? This is very odd." He paused again. "That is all I can say on this subject. I hope you understand what you're going to be up against, Elizabeth."

"I will, now that you've helped me. Thank you, Firenze." Elizabeth walked out of the classroom. She quickly found her way back to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"How'd the talk go?" Harry asked.

"Alright," was the abrupt answer from Elizabeth. Harry saw her face blush as she walked up the stairs to her dormitory. She felt mentally drained and thought it would be wise to take a nap. Well, it was working, until a screech brought her back to the world of the living. She swore as she tried to see what happened.

"Sorry, sorry. I'd forgotten all about that," Harry said, apologizing to a couple first year girls who were trying to go up. Harry clumsily got up to see Elizabeth watching him. "There you are," he said.

"You wanted to talk with me?" Elizabeth asked. She slid down the flat stairs and landed at the bottom on her feet.

Harry looked at her for a moment, her hair in disarray, and her clothes slightly crumpled, and thought '_What was I going to say? Oh yeah…_'  "Yeah, er…remember what Ron said, the other day…" he start, his cheeks flaming, "about you _fancying_ Firenze…er…you really don't, do you?"

"Of course not, Harry. How could I? The man's part horse," Elizabeth replied drolly. Any other occasion, Elizabeth's comic appearance plus her amusing tone would have had Harry in stitches.

But, today, Harry didn't find this very funny; he still didn't look convinced, even though he tried to make a sound that could have been a nervous laugh. "Well…then….who _do_ you fancy?" he questioned suddenly. '_Stupid,_' he thought immediately after he said it. He could literally feel the blood pounding throughout his face and ears, just like Ron when Hermione asked him an embarrassing question.

Harry didn't even notice Elizabeth felt the same way.

"I…Uh…happen to really like…" Elizabeth stuttered. She stopped, took a deep breath, and started again, this time, confidently, "I really like—"

The rest of that sentence was cut off when Ginny grabbed Elizabeth and pulled her back upstairs unexpectedly. "See you later, then," Elizabeth called out as she was being driven away.

"Yeah," Harry muttered as he headed over by Ron.

"You should have seen yourself, Harry," Ron said, looking over his homework. "Your face would have done a beet proud."

"Oh, sod off," Harry grumbled irritably as he sat down. Next thing he knew, he could hear Ginny yelling, sounding remarkably like her mother, all the way in the dormitory.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!"

There was a murmur Harry knew was Elizabeth. '_She won't yell unless provoked a bit more,_' he knew. He couldn't make out what she said.

"Could you see the way he's been looking at you? Have you ever noticed that when Ron teases you about Firenze, his knuckles get white? His face is forever red! Why didn't you just tell him from the start to stop prolonging the suffering?" it wasn't screamed as loud, but it was still audible from the Common Room.

There was another pause that made Harry believe that Elizabeth had said something.

"YOU'VE GOT SOME NERVE!" Ginny exploded unexpectedly.

The sudden outburst made Ron start right out of his seat.

"You should talk! When Harry told me about his life, not once did he say you told him you liked him!" Elizabeth retorted.

That time, everybody heard Elizabeth. '_I think Ginny touched a sensitive spot,_' he thought. He didn't hear anything else until Elizabeth came back down, her face completely flushed.

"Can you guys help me with my homework?" she timidly asked Ron and Harry.

They agreed and went to sit by her, as there were no more seats for her where they were sitting. Fortunately, by the end of it all, they all could barely breathe from laughing so hard from the various jokes that were told or pulled that night.

* * *

(_A/N_: This _is_ going to be quite long before the end…^_^ YAY!!!! Guys! Sorry this took so long! I got a sign from God and life took over! If this chapter wasn't worth the wait, I'm terribly sorry! And! Next chapter might be up on Monday! I've got another four day weekend and my punishment is over!!!! ^_^ YAAAAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

**Naja607**: Tell Joe I said hi back! How is Mrs. Biggerstaff, by the way? Lol!!! Good times, Mica, good times. ^_~.  Thanks for reviewing, **_again_**. Really, doesn't this get redundant? A ride, huh? Coolie. I never thought of it like that…Hmm…^_^

**Rocky235**: Your opinion means a lot to me. Thank you. Oh, yes. I try to have a lot of Slytherin bashing…^_^ Although Elizabeth Pentillo keeps trying to be that Ramirez kid's friend…Honestly, I don't understand her sometimes…^_^. The future? But who dies, then? Or _does_ someone die? I wonder…Thanks much for your numerous reviews…each and every one is specially appreciated! (jeez, how many times am I going to say this???) *many times, because I am so pathetic.*

**Zdanz**: Thanks ever so much! This update came as fast as it could. Sorry if the wait was a bit long. I try to update once a week, but sometimes life takes over…*coughcoughorpeoplegotoirelandcoughcough*

**Kagome**: Yo! Kagome! You review once and are never heard from again? Well, you have one more chapter before I stop mentioning you! *Like that's a big threat…-_-;;* Lol! Just kidding! I hope you review soon, though!)


	15. Auror Training

(A/N: I've decided to put Author Notes before the chapter…then they make more sense…I think…Whatever ^_^

**HappySnakes Rule:** Don't be afraid to review! I see you've put me on your author alert list. I'm honored. I'd love to hear what exactly you like and dislike about this.

**Naja607: **I'm trying to stick to Harry's point of view during this. There are certain instances where it has to be from Elizabeth's, but who really cares about her, right now? Anywayz…I like the fact that Harry has no clue what Elizabeth was saying until she got _real_ mad at Ginny. Thanks for saying it was great. ^_^  My friend went to Ireland. I talk to him almost every day and I got depressed cuz I couldn't. *shrugs shoulders* Wish he woulda taken me with him, but his parents would have given him weird looks. O.o. But he's back and I'm happy! And he got me two rocks! One's a piece of shale, and the other's just a pebble. But they're cool none-the-less!! ^_^

**Rocky235: **Of course I was innocent… O:- ) What can I do if they get me mad, you know? Stomp the anger out of existence? I don't think so! Thanks for the praise. ^_^

Well…maybe we should get started on the story, eh? Nah, I don't think so…Just kidding! ^_^)

* * *

Harry's first class in Auror training was on October the seventeenth, a week before the first quidditch match. He was to give up History of Magic, for that was Professor McGonagall's only free period, with Ron, and Elizabeth was going to go for special training on magical creatures with Hagrid, for one solid week each semester.

Harry woke up on the seventeenth feeling like he was made of lead. It wasn't that he wasn't looking forward to Auror training, but from he'd heard, it'd be real hard work.

"Ready to be an Auror, Harry?" Ron asked on the way out.

"No," he responded honestly. They went to the Common Room to wait for Elizabeth.

"Good morning," Elizabeth said in a chipper voice as she walked to the Common Room.

"Someone's happy, today," Ron remarked.

"Of course, I'm happy." She had a definite bounce in her step as she followed Harry and Ron to the Great Hall. A month into the school year, and Elizabeth still didn't really know her way around.

"Just because of a special class with Hagrid?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"Not completely. Today, I turn sixteen," she said dramatically.

"Happy birthday, then," they said in unison.

"Sorry we didn't get you any gifts, but, you know, we had no idea…"

"Don't worry about it. You guys haven't known me for more than a couple months. I don't expect presents," Elizabeth interrupted.

While they were eating breakfast, they saw why she didn't expect presents from them. About three owls came into the Great Hall, each carrying either a lot of cards or a healthy load of gifts. Elizabeth blushed as she grabbed all her things and rushed them to her dormitory before class started.

After actually being ignored in potions class, Harry thought this just might turn out to be a good day.

Harry and Ron wished Elizabeth good luck with the dangerous creatures she was sure to encounter near Hagrid, and then they made their way to McGonagall's classroom. When they got there, Harry never saw a classroom furnished like this. As they walked in, he noticed the weird walls separating five foot sections of the large room. They were nothing but brick, but the way they were situated made the room look like many rooms.

Harry and Ron joined the small group of kids waiting for class to start.

"Good morning," Professor McGonagall greeted. "And welcome to the beginning of Auror training. Now that you are all here, today will be just a review of the spells you know for dueling. At the end of each of the long rooms there are moving targets. At first, they will shoot nothing but the disarming charm at you, but when you get into the very advanced stages of this exercise, they might even throw the killing curse at you. That will not happen here. That might happen at the end of your three years training after Hogwarts.

"Please be aware that if any peril befalls you, it is only a simulation, and it will not do permanent damage to you. If you are rendered immobile, I will come to your aid."

Harry looked around the small group of people. There were Ron and he, Neville, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Terry Boot, and '_Draco Malfoy? What on earth is he doing here?_' thought Harry.

"If you'll follow my instructions, I shall tell you which room will belong to you throughout the course," McGonagall explained.

The rooms were in alphabetical order. Terry Boot's room was first, then Justin, Neville, Malfoy, Harry, and last, Ron.

Harry walked between the two walls, took out his wand, and waited for instructions. At the end of the room was a blue dummy with a red bull's-eye on its chest. It was moving from one side of the room to the other.

"Now, try to disarm, only," McGonagall commanded, using the _Sonorous_ curse.

"_Expelliarmus_!" Harry shouted.

To his delight, the charm hit the target right in the middle of the bull's-eye before the dummy could curse him with the same spell.

"According to the dummies, only three of you hit the target with the disarming spell," McGonagall stated. "If the other three of you wish to become Aurors, I suggest you try a little harder on disarming."

"The three of you who did manage to hit the target can try to stun it. You know who you are. Once you have the target stunned, it will retaliate after a couple moments. You may choose to physically dodge it, or block it with a shield charm. If it doesn't hit you with the disarming spell, it will resort to stunning. I will know if it hits you and I will come to help you, not to worry," she finished.

The dummies started up again and Harry cursed, "_Stupefy_!" He smiled as the dummy stopped in the process of getting ready to disarm him.

It began to move and shot the disarming spell at him three times before it gave up and tried to stun him.

Harry disarmed the dummy and was becoming quite pleased with himself. After the fifty minute period, he knew that this was going to be his favorite class.

"How was it?" Elizabeth asked once Harry and Ron met up with her.

"It was brilliant," Harry replied.

"It was a joke," was Ron's response.

"How so?" Elizabeth inquired.

"The dummy they stuck me with was no dummy," Ron answered. "I swear, it anticipated my every move and it blocked it. It disarmed me about three times before I finally hit it when something distracted it. It took me the rest of the class period to even get the stunning spell out of my mouth before it stopped me in my tracks…"

"While Ron's experience wasn't the greatest, I thought it was marvelous," Harry interrupted gently. He had to do something to stop Ron from rambling.

"How was class with Hagrid?" Ron questioned.

"I thought it was the most awesome thing I'd ever lived through. He showed me how to take care of thestrals. They're these really cool looking horses that can fly. They took to me naturally, too! I didn't even have to lure them with meat or anything!"

"Then he showed me how to care for sick unicorns. He's got one and it won't let him near it unless it's unconscious so he wants me to help him nurse it back to health," she explained. She had a huge grin on her face. Her last comment was "Hagrid said I had a natural gift with animals."

"You've seen someone die?" Harry asked her. One part of her speech caught his attention, and that was the part about the thestrals.

"Eh? Um…not that I can remember. Why?" she responded.

"Because those who can see thestrals have seen death," Ron answered in a dismal tone.

Elizabeth was looking confused. "Oh…Uh…I don't think I've seen death…" she muttered.

"Then I guess Hagrid was right. You've got some extraordinary gift with animals," commented Harry.

At the end of the week, Harry concluded that it was the best week he'd ever had at Hogwarts. Auror training was so gratifying, and it seemed Elizabeth was having so much fun with the things she was learning. Ron had been having more trouble with the dueling than Harry. McGonagall told him that if he didn't shape up, he'd be shifted to another career.

"Don't worry about it, Ron," said seventh year, Katie Bell. "People shift careers all the time."

"Right," Ron said, trying to be cheerful.


	16. The Weird Challenge

(A/N: I have a guest with me, today! Ladies and Gentlemen, say hello to Blaise Zambini! He has so nicely agreed to come and watch the quidditch match with us! Since the last chapter didn't take as long a time as I thought it would, I figured I'd just go on with the next one! ^_^ Three cheers for me! No! not really! Definitely not needed! [Blaise: Stop being so humble. You are not that great.] Oh go stuff yourself, you Slytherin dirt bag! [Gryffindor!] Like that's really an insult! Snake! [Sod off. I don't know about you, the reader, but I'm going to watch this match somewhere else.] No! *grabs Blaise and ties him up* You are staying right here. ^_^ Here's the story! [*mumbles through gag* Heh e!] He he he…^_______^

* * *

The first quidditch match of the season was much anticipated. None of the new Gryffindor players could sit still or relax. Ron couldn't either.

"You should really eat breakfast," he commented to Elizabeth.

"You should talk. You haven't touched yours, either," Elizabeth shot back. She was short tempered and snappish because of her nerves.

"Elizabeth, if you don't eat, I'll stuff food down your throat," Harry joked. He was ecstatic about being able to play again. He couldn't wait to get out there. His threat made her eat _one_ piece of bacon.

The morning flew by and Harry was counting down the hours. When it was finally time, he got ready in record time. He was walking with the rest of the team to the field when he noticed Elizabeth's façade. Her lips were drawn in determination. Her eyes were alert and she wasn't talking.

He knew enough about her to notice something was wrong. "Nervous?" he asked.

"Somewhat." It was a curt answer that let on more than was intended.

'_And the biggest understatement of the year award goes to…Elizabeth Pentillo,_' Harry thought to himself. Hit with a stroke of brilliance, he decided on imitating Oliver Wood. "I felt the same way before my first game."

"What happened?" 

'_Okay, we've made progress. She's said two words._' Harry smiled as the memory of his debut swam in his head. "I fell off my broom and ended up swallowing the snitch," he replied comically.

Elizabeth laughed a little shaky chuckle that made some of her anxiety go away.

"Welcome to the first match of the season! Slytherin versus Gryffindor!" said the voice of a new commentator. Harry didn't know who she was, but she was wearing green and silver colors, so he wasn't about to find out.

The players took their positions in the circle.

"Captains, shake hands," said Madam Hooch.

Harry and Malfoy glared at each other as they grasped hands. The only reason Harry squeezed harder than what was necessary was because, if he didn't, Malfoy would have crushed his fingers.

Madam Hooch let the bludgers go and threw the quaffle up into the air. Harry shot up high, scanning the pitch. The game had begun.

"Alright there, Bludger Target?" Malfoy sneered as he soared past, right into Harry's stretch of sight. He ducked as a bludger came zooming at him, and watched with satisfaction as Malfoy didn't see the bludger until it hit him in the back, the same place Harry had made the Beater's club whack him.

"Pentillo scores. Ten points to Gryffindor. Come on, Slytherin! Get that quaffle back!" the commentator shouted.

"Yes!" Harry exclaimed. He noted, as he was resolved to watch the game and look for the snitch, that John Kepler was keeping an almost obsessive guard over Elizabeth in particular where bludgers were concerned. '_I'll have to ask about that_,' Harry promised himself.

Emily scored as Harry caught sight of the elusive snitch. He started flying after it, but Malfoy was right behind him. Harry noticed that he was just tailing him, so he dove in the wrong direction, heading towards the ground. He turned up just in time. Too bad Malfoy didn't.

'_And Harry Potter just pulls off anything successful Wronski Feint!_' he thought victoriously as he saw Malfoy's bleeding nose. He laughed to himself when he saw Ginny score.

In the distance, "FOUL! SOMEONE CALL A FOUL! HOOCH! ARE YOU BLIND!?" was heard.

Harry saw the snitch again. It was flying by Elizabeth. He sped off towards it.

Elizabeth turned to see a blur of red flying at her and a little golden ball flitting by the bristles of her broom. Something clicked in her head, and she moved out of the way so the red blur, Harry, could have an open field to the snitch. Malfoy, though still bleeding, glanced at the golden item. He started racing after it, but Elizabeth, seeing him, flew along side him, making it look like she was following formation. Then she gathered a bit more speed and turned directly in front of him, making him lose his balance. Malfoy very nearly fell of his broom, but held on tighter than anyone could have imagined, and headed once more for the snitch.

One problem with this, though. The snitch was already in someone's hand. Harry's.

"Potter caught the snitch. So, after a dirty game of cheating and favoritism—"

"Miss Yurich, if you please! Stay to unbiased comments or resign from the commentating position," Professor McGonagall interrupted.

"If you say so, Professor," Yurich said in a tone as sweet as poison. "Gryffindor wins. One hundred-ninety to thirty."

The Gryffindor team flew together and were patting backs and giving congratulations. Then they made their way back to the Common Room, where a party was waiting, courtesy of a few trusted friends.

"Elizabeth!" Ron called out during the party.

"What's up?" she asked as she made her way to him and Harry.

"That was some pretty fancy flying earlier," he complemented.

"Er…thanks," Elizabeth murmured. One could tell she was still not used to praise.

"Being as good as you are, I bet I could still beat you in a race," challenged Harry. He didn't know what might have been in the butterbeer he was drinking, but he thought it might just work.

Elizabeth gave him a weird look that said, "You're kidding, right?"

"Yeah! Harry, that's a great idea! Two laps around the field with ten galleons to the winner," agreed Ron. As an after-thought, he added, "And, if Harry wins, you two are to have a date in Hogsmeade. Alone. Without me, or Ginny, or anybody." He smirked as he saw Harry pale.

'_How'd he know that was what I was thinking?_' Harry shook his head. "I'd rather not have those conditions—"

"Count me in," Elizabeth interjected quickly.

Ron held back a laugh and his eyes glinted mischievously. "Harry, all you have to do is say yes, mate."

"Yes," Harry stammered.

"Alright then. Next village visit is in two weeks. Next week, the race will commence!" Ron proclaimed loudly. Thankfully, over everyone else's noise, only Colin Creevey and Ginny heard his announcement.

"I'll photo the finish," Colin offered.

"Go right ahead," Ron agreed.

No one had any idea that this arrangement was causing Harry to lose sleep.  He kept trying to think about what would happen if he lost. When he could come up with no answers, he just thought, _'I'll just have to make sure I won't lose, then_.'

True, he had every intention of winning, but Elizabeth could, at times, be a bit more clever than he, so he might have to rely on his speed heavily. '_Fat chance I'll win by just that,_' he mused. He didn't realize that someone, in the sixth year girls' dormitory, was having the same problem.

* * *

(^_^ *unties Blaise* You're free to go now, Mr. Zambini. [Bloody hell, woman, you're crazy! *runs off*] Okay then…maybe for the next match I'll have Neville with us or something…^_^)


	17. Information about a Refugee

(A/N: 

**Jorge:** dude, that's so cool! I hope you continue to like this…You really think Rowling'll use it? I doubt it but if you think so…Hope you like this chap! ^_^

**Naja607**: I'll try and bring him ^_~. The winner might surprise you, but on the other hand, there's a one in two chance of you being right so I won't hint at anything. ^_^ Thanks for the praise.****

**HpRoXmYnOnExIsTiNtSoX13:  **Wow what a long name! Thanks for reviewing…Um…I am just a *little* crazy, but then again, who isn't? Normal people scare me…^_^ Glad you like my story.)

* * *

At potions, the last class for the day, Elizabeth couldn't get anything right. She was messing up everything that could be messed up. Harry thought she'd be really lucky if she didn't melt her cauldron by the end of class.

Ron noticed, too. "Having a bad day?"

"The worst," Elizabeth mumbled back.

"Pentillo! I was not aware that we were having a conversation!" Professor Snape barked.

Behind him, Harry rolled his eyes as the potions master swept to Elizabeth's cauldron. "Class, what color is this potion supposed to be?" he asked, looking at the red acidic substance in Elizabeth cauldron.

"Green," the whole class responded.

Harry badly wanted to say some biting remark, but held his tongue.

"What did you do wrong?" Snape asked Elizabeth.

"Everything," Elizabeth answered in a regular tone.

"It's too runny; it's the wrong color. Too many ingredients. Can you do anything right, Pentillo?"

"Yes, I can," she retorted defiantly, pointing her chin up, so she was looking into Snape's black, soulless eyes.

Snape snarled a deadly hiss. "I don't know about the rules where you grew up, but I must inform you, talking to authority like that, here, is against the rules. You should know that by now, so fifty points from Gryffindor, to make sure it doesn't happen again."

A livid anger sprang up in Elizabeth's eyes at this injustice. Her breathing quickened as her hand sped to the inside of her robes involuntarily. Harry put his hand on her arm. He faced the blaze in her eyes and watched it die out in defeat. He slowly shook his head. Elizabeth's shoulders slumped as she glared at the ground.

"Snape's the pits," Elizabeth growled on the way out of class.

"I know. Compared to what he's tried to do to me, you got off easy," Harry replied.

"He's right. You should've seen it three years ago, when Harry snuck into—"

"Good morning." They're talk was interrupted by Professor McGonagall, as she walked up to them. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, you are to come with me. I have a letter for you both. Carry on, Miss Pentillo."

Elizabeth went to the dormitory as Harry and Ron shared confused glances behind McGonagall.

"You are probably wondering why I called you from class. I have just received a letter from Miss Granger," McGonagall explained. She motioned towards her desk. There, Harry saw something he had only seen once before. On her desk was an owl, and a very badly injured one at that. Its wings looked dislocated and there was a shallow gash on its face. It hooted feebly while McGonagall picked up the envelope. Harry noticed the seal was broken.

'_Dear Ron and Harry,_

_I do hope you're all right. I'd tell you I'm learning loads, if I was. But I'm not in school. I'd tell you the truth about where I am, but I can't in case this letter is intercepted. In the shadows I find friends. I hope you have found a friend in Elizabeth. I'm sure she must be a handful. I do sincerely hope that I see you two soon. I miss you terribly._

_Love from,_

_Hermione._'

Ron continued to look at the paper, a perplexed look on his face.

"Take this letter to your dormitory, and you may go back to your dormitory, now," McGonagall dismissed.

"What's this about?" Harry asked Elizabeth when they were back in the Common Room. "How does she know you?"

"Who?" Elizabeth asked back, totally in the dark.

"Hermione. How do you know Hermione?" Ron cut in.

"I don't."

"Then how does she know you?" Harry questioned.

"How the heck should I know?"

"What the bloody hell is going on? Hermione's supposed to be in the United States, studying, but she's not. She's in hiding. Why is she in hiding?" Ron ranted breathlessly. Harry shook his head.

"Something seriously doesn't add up," Elizabeth said to herself. She sighed and sat down in front of the fire place.

"Right," Harry agreed, not caring that Elizabeth was talking to herself. "You signed up for this foreign exchange program, and I think Hermione did over the summer—"

"No, I didn't," Elizabeth interrupted. "I didn't sign up for anything. I thought I was a muggle. Normal as normal could be. But then I got a letter saying I'd been accepted to Hogwarts for a foreign exchange program," she explained.

Harry and Ron swapped looks. "You really didn't sign up for this?" Harry repeated.

"No. That's why I have to take 'make-up' classes. That's why I was so amazed by everything when I got here. I was lead to believe that this place wasn't real."

"Now something's definitely amiss," Ron stated. Harry nodded.

* * *

(A/N: Oo! A plot twist! :-D How did it happen? Why? What. Will. Result. From. This? Sorry it was so short, but, hey, at least I updated, right? Nah, just kidding. I'm working on the next chapter now so don't worry. It should be up soon.)

**Preview: **"Fine! You want to leave a poor cowardly dog in the middle of a forest, that's fine with me! But I'm going to look for him," Elizabeth said vehemently. Her recklessness and weakness for animals got the better of her as she strolled straight into the forest bravely, and boldly alone.

Harry and Ron waited a minute. Harry whispered, "We can't let her get lost on her own," and they ran to catch up to her.


	18. The Circle of Centaurs

(A/N:

**Rocky235**: You know…I never thought of that…Hmmm…Maybe I will have a chapter involving the treatment of the owl…Here's a longer chapter for you. ^_^ Thanks for reviewing!

**Naja607**: The wheels in my head never stop…*grumbling* ^_^ I hope you won't get to mad at the preview on the bottom. ^_~ Thanks for reviewing!

And here is the next chapter, ladies and gentlemen!)

* * *

 That Saturday night, when they went to go visit Hagrid, they noticed that he was depressed.

"'Lo," he said, forlorn.

"What's wrong, Hagrid?" Harry asked.

"Fang's gone off. He got away while I was chasin' a dementor. Third one this month I found and killed. But the lot of them won't be comin' back. I made sure of tha'. The only thing is Fang's lost in there. All alone, with his sense of home messed up from those rotten dementors," Hagrid explained.

"Dementors in the forest? How'd they get there?" Elizabeth asked.

"Don' know," he replied, "All I know is that Fang's gone and he ain't found his way back home, yet."

Harry could practically see the light bulb turning on in Elizabeth's head.

They talked about different things until curfew. Then they said their goodbyes and walked out of Hagrid's hut.

"Why don't we go look for Fang?" Elizabeth asked once Hagrid's door was closed.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Elizabeth," Ron warned.

"Ron's right," said Harry. Memories involving the forest swirled in his head.

"Fine! You want to leave a poor cowardly dog in the middle of a forest, that's fine with me! But I'm going to look for him," Elizabeth said vehemently. Her recklessness and weakness for animals got the better of her as she strolled straight into the forest bravely, and boldly alone.

Harry and Ron waited a minute. Harry whispered, "We can't let her get lost on her own," and they ran to catch up to her.

The forest was dark and eerie. Fog was rolling over tree trunks and over grass and dirt. A wolf howled in the distance. Still, they found no sign of Elizabeth.

"HAGGER!" something screamed. Harry and Ron walked towards the screaming to see Grawp, swinging his arms into trees. Harry turned his head as he saw a glint of light beside Grawp, but it was gone before he could get a closer look.

"Harry!" There, sitting in the trunks of a gnarled tree, was Elizabeth, her forehead bleeding.

"ME WANT HAGGER! SENAWRS!" Grawp continued to shout.

Harry and Ron helped Elizabeth up. She shook her head and seemed to be all right except for the cut on her head.

"What does he mean by 'senwars?'" Elizabeth asked out loud.

"Why do I think he's saying, 'I want Hagrid. Centaurs?'" Ron said.

Suddenly, Grawp quieted down and pointed a hand towards a clearing. The three stepped closer to get a better look.

A whole circle of centaurs were there, pointed their arrows at one beast that was undistinguishable. When Harry, Ron, and Elizabeth tried to get closer, all the centaurs released their arrows. Elizabeth jerked her head away, hoping to hear not the sound of arrows digging into flesh.

Before the centaurs knew the three were there, they heard a whimper.

"Fang?" Harry called softly. The great dog came out from the shadows and rubbed his head on Harry's leg. He then started walked away. The three followed him.

When they were at the front door of Hagrid's hut, Fang started scratching at the door.

"Is that you, Fang?" came Hagrid's voice as he opened his door. "What're you three doin' here? I thought ya went back, already," he commented at seeing Harry, Ron, and Elizabeth.

"We came to bring Fang back to you," Elizabeth answered brightly.

Hagrid turned furious. "You meant ta tell me, that you three went into the forest, alone, in the middle of the night, just to get my bloody dog?" They nodded. Hagrid shook his head and grabbed their arms and walked them all the way to Dumbledore's office.

"Yes, Hagrid?" said Dumbledore, looking up from his desk.

"Professor, these three went into the forest," Hagrid informed.

Dumbledore became very somber. "And what, pray tell, were you doing in there?" he asked to Harry, Ron, and Elizabeth.

"It was all my fault," Elizabeth spoke up suddenly. "Sir. I decided to go looking for Hagrid's dog. Harry and Ron couldn't very well leave me in the forest, alone. I wasn't quite away of the danger, but Fang had run away while Hagrid was out finding a dementor and Fang—"

"Dementors, Hagrid? Another one? Please, step out into the hall. I wish to speak with you a moment," interrupted Dumbledore.

"Now, we're in for it," Ron moaned.

"Hagrid, I want you to tell me everything," Dumbledore requested. They could still hear him, but they had to try harder.

"Well, sir, I…Uh…got a message from an old friend of mine. He said that him and his family were getting scared bad by summin. They were sayin' that whatever it was, it was sucking all the warmth outta the place.

"I went to go check it out with Fang and my cross-bow, and sir, he sensed the dementor before I did, brave cha, and he scattered. I saw the horrible creature, tall, lurkin' and sulky. I shot him right in the chest. But Fang wasn't with me. I figured he'd find his way home by now. But a day went by and Fang still didn't come home. I almost lost hope when these three paid me a visit. Little did I know that when they left, they went straight in to the forest.

"They came back to me hut and I brought them straight to you, sir, for fear of them doin' in again, if I have to chase another dementor and Fang gets lost again," Hagrid explained.

The subject was then changed to other things.

"Hello, Fawkes," said Harry as the phoenix landed on his shoulder. Elizabeth noticed that this was the bird in her dream. She started looking around the office. On one of the shelves was a glass doom. Inside was a flower, a purple daisy, in full bloom. But the dome must have been ancient from all the dust on it, and the flower didn't have any roots, dirt, or anything else it needed to survive. Elizabeth thought it looked oddly familiar…

"Well, I'm sorry to say that am very disappointed in you, Elizabeth. You put two of your fellow students in danger, as well as yourself. But since you found Hagrid's dog, I'm not going to take any points away from Gryffindor. As you broke the rules, no points will be awarded, and the three of you are not allowed to go to the village around Halloween. I must advise you three, do not go into the forest again. This is not just a regular rule, anymore. Something is happening in there that isn't normal. It isn't good, either. You were very lucky this time with only receiving a mere scratch, Elizabeth. But, as I'm sure you're very aware, your luck may run out at any moment," said Professor Dumbledore.

"Besides that, a new barrier will be added around the school. It will not let students pass unless they are with a teacher. It will give you room to be outside, but no more will you be able to roam the forest."

As Harry, Ron, and Elizabeth walked out of Dumbledore's office, all three of them breathed a sigh of relief.

"I thought we were going to get a load of points off, plus a century worth of detention," said Ron. Harry knew how close they were to narrowly, not just getting detention, or losing points, but getting expelled.

* * *

(A/N: *shakes head* When's Elizabeth going to learn that you just can't run off like that? *sigh* Hope you liked this chapter! ^_^)

**Preview:** "This has got to be the closest tie I've ever seen," said Ginny.

Everyone held their breath while Colin developed the picture in the cauldron.

"This is it, everybody. The winner of this race was—"


	19. Races and Costumes

(A/N: Hey hey, people. It's the chapter you've all been waiting for!!!! ^_^ [Colin: Finally! I thought I was never going to get to use my camera.] -_-;; As you can see, I have Colin Creevey with me right now. I would have had Ginny, but you know, the spectators get to see the whole thing…and I don't think Ginny would have been happy with the ending…^_~ Think that gave away the winner? NOT A CHANCE!!!! ^______________^ I love tormenting you guys…jk jk…Um. I made this a little bit more detailed than the preview, so if it isn't the same, don't worry, you're not missing anything.

**Naja607**: The beast will be revealed…just wait. But I would've thought that you'd be able to figure it out what it is…hmmmmm…guess not. Do me a flavor when you're reading this. Do not skip to the bottom of the page to find the winner, please. Lately I've been ruining Agatha Christy (sp?) novels for myself because I read the last five pages of them, and believe me, it sucks booty!!! I don't understand why I keep doing it…must be that insatiable curiosity…Anywayz… You get your winner in this chapter, so…just read and be on the edge of your seat, and I'll be happy…^_~

[Will you please start, now? I've been waiting for this for weeks!] Of course, Creevey, of course…)

* * *

The day of the race came, and Harry was wondering at the spectacle of time moving faster when you want it to go slow, and moving slower when you want it to go fast.

Harry grabbed his broom and set out for the field without letting anyone know. He didn't want to go out there with the other four. The uncomfortable silence would have been unbearable.

Somehow, Ron got a long, bright red ribbon. The winner was to grab it, therefore breaking it. Colin was there with his camera, to take a snapshot of the finish line to judge who won. He had his cauldron out there, as well, to develop the picture as soon as it was taken. ([Quite right.] Shut up! You're not supposed to talk until this chapter is over with! [If you say so. I'm just so excited!] SHUT UP!! [*meekly* okay…]) Ginny and Ron were to be suspending the ribbon in the air.

Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Colin were there for ten minutes before Ron's impatience got the better of him. He had to go back into the castle to retrieve Elizabeth.

'_There's her brave face_,' thought Harry as he saw her.

"Mount!" called Ron. He and Ginny flew into place. The racers were to go around the field twice, and then fly one more lap lower in order to grab the ribbon.

They could have cut the tension with a knife. Harry and Elizabeth rose up slowly into the air above Ron and Ginny. Harry took a deep breath as they lined up right next to each other.

"Get ready!" started Ginny.

'_Why am I so nervous?_' thought Harry.

"Get set!"

'_Don't think about what could happen if you lose. Don't think. Just don't think. O God I can't _not_ think!'_ Elizabeth mused desperately.

"Go!"

And there they went. Harry was about a couple yards in front of Elizabeth. The Firebolt reached top speed quicker. What else could you expect from the world's fastest broom?

They went around the second lap. Harry mentally sighed as he realized that he had this race in the bag. He didn't relax his grip, but he didn't notice the tail of his broom was dragging until Elizabeth was a head in front of him.

"Oh no, you don't," Harry muttered. He coaxed the broom into going a bit faster. Now they were neck and neck. They flew into the third lap.

The two of them pushed their brooms to the limits. It was almost like a pattern. Elizabeth would be ahead for about two seconds, and then Harry would be ahead. It went back and forth throughout the third lap.

That pattern was going to be the demise of one of them.

(A/N: Hmmm…maybe I should just stop it here…Just kidding…^_^ Don't kill me…O.O;;)

The two of them put everything they had into their brooms as they crossed the finish line. They heard the snap of a camera as they tried to stop their brooms.

Ron and Ginny were wide-eyed with shock. Who knew Elizabeth could get so close?

"Elizabeth," Harry started. "Whoever wins, I just want you to know that you did a bang-up job. Especially for a beginning flyer."

"Well," Elizabeth paused coyly, "I still can't maneuver. If I had to do zigzags or something, I'd have crashed about half a zillion times if not more."

"It's done," Colin informed. He brought the picture to Ron, Ginny, Harry and Elizabeth.

"Bloody hell, Harry. Half an inch more and you would have beaten her."

"I won?" Elizabeth asked in disbelief.

"Looks like it," Harry replied, his face a blank canvas.

"Can't be. Let me see that." She examined it with her eyes close to the photograph. "There ain't no freaken way I beat him," she chanted.

"You did, okay? There's a fine line between modesty and stupidity, and you're very close to crossing it," Ginny retorted.

Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief at the thought of not going through the anxiety of going somewhere alone with a guy.

"I've got an idea. Tell you in the Common Room," Harry whispered to Ron. He nodded back as everyone went back into the castle.

The two of them stayed in the Common Room later then the other three. Ron shook his head. "You're really pushing it," he said. "But I'll do it."

On Halloween, Harry and Ron woke up late. They had no classes, as was the custom. They groggily walked from the dormitory to the Common Room to see Elizabeth and the first year, Annabelle Lewis, dressed in weird attire.

Elizabeth had an odd, pale dress that looked like it was from 1910 to 1920. Her hair was cursed to curl more than usual, and not to stick up. It was a dark red. Annabelle Lewis' hair was a shocking white and she had a black leather bodysuit on bearing the letter X on the chest. She also had a billowy black cloak.

Elizabeth looked up at the stairs to see Harry and Ron staring at her. A look of shock appeared as she noticed they were in regular clothes.

"What are you wearing?" Ginny came out of her dormitory just in time to see Elizabeth blush the color of her hair.

"It's Halloween, right?" Annabelle said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Uh…Yeah. I take it you guys don't wear costumes for Halloween?" Elizabeth questioned in a small voice.

"Why would we wear costumes? Our uniform is as good a costume as any. Who'd actually believe we were witches and wizards if we went out in them, especially on today?" Ron explained.

"So…I guess I should go change…" Elizabeth got up to leave when Annabelle called back to her.

"No! Stay in costume. Maybe we'll start a new tradition!"

"O God," Elizabeth whispered to herself.

"Come on!" Annabelle said as she grabbed Elizabeth's hand. She pulled her to the Great Hall, with Harry and Ron following behind, not knowing what to expect.

"Happy Halloween, Hogwarts!" Professor Dumbledore said as the students filed in. "I know today will be filled with treats…" He looked to Harry, Ron, and Elizabeth, "And tricks. I only ask that the teachers be not involved in the disorder. Enjoy your breakfast."

They ate in silence, with Elizabeth praying that no one would look at her weird. Nobody did, and she was grateful. Lord knows that was the last thing she needed.

The rest of the day passed by boringly. Not much happened. Dinner was in ten minutes and Elizabeth was trying to convince Annabelle that they should change into their regular clothes.

"Absolutely not," Annabelle replied stubbornly. "You can. But I won't. I'll be sad, and I'll be alone, but I'll get through it."

"Fine," Elizabeth sighed. "I'll stay in costume until bed."

Harry still couldn't figure out why that dress was so familiar. He'd remembered seeing it somewhere. But where?

Everyone was gathering for the magnificent feast in the Great Hall. Harry saw Elizabeth's eyes open in wonder at the jack-o-lanterns, all the candy, and the lightening and thunder on the ceiling.

Before people started eating, Dumbledore once again stood up to make an announcement. "Ladies and gentlemen. It is my sad duty to report to you the happenings outside our boundaries. Dementors have been invading slowly, as if to test our strength to hold them back. We have been able to destroy them with the help of the woodland creatures, but that is not the worst thing. Dementors could not have breached the boundary unless aided by a very powerful wizard, which leads me to believe that Voldemort himself is opening the way for them. Why? I wish I had an answer. What does this mean to you, the students? Everyone, from fifth year on up, is to learn the Patronus spell correctly by the end of the year. I would suggest putting your hearts into it, or it may mean your lives."

With this cryptic remark the feast began. Again, there were no comments on the costumes of the two Americans.

* * *

(You like? I hope so! [Now can I talk?] Of course, you can. [About the Halloween thing, I asked Ginny about it. She seemed very dark when she answered. I wonder why. Anyway. I liked the first year's costume. It was rather interesting.] Yes, yes, it was. Now, a virtual cookie to anyone who can tell me who the both of them were supposed to be! ^_^)

**Preview:** "Ready?" Harry whispered.

"You know, Harry, you're going to get me into _real_ trouble one of these days," Ron sighed.

"So," Elizabeth started as she walked down the stairs from her dormitory. "Where are we going?"

"Hogsmeade," Harry replied simply.

"I know that, but where, exactly?"

"You'll just have to wait and see."


	20. Conspiracy Theory

(A/N:

**Naja607**: Yay! You get half a cookie! No, I do not think that Elizabeth was a goth/punk in an old fashion dress. *LOL*. Yeah, Elizabeth winning really was a shocker. I didn't expect it, and I'm the author! Or so I thought…¬_¬;;. Anyways, thanks for reviewing again! You'll see what Ron and Harry are planning…^_~

**Rocky235**: It is really appreciated when you review every chapter like that. Um…no, it was not Snape. Elizabeth would not know about the Snape and the stuffed vulture incident. Have a virtual carrot for guessing! That would have been disastrous if the centaurs found them…eep! Thanks for reviewing again!

Okay, since neither of you could figure out who Elizabeth was, I will give you hints until you can figure it out. If you don't want to keep guessing that poo poo on you! ^_^

Hint 1:  It's something to do with muggles.

Hint 2:  I think Harry caught glimpses of the TV while he was at the Dursleys.

Hint 3: You'll have to wait for next chapter for this one!!! ^_^

* * *

Life can fly by when you least expect it. That's what Harry noticed as he thought about the upcoming holiday. Seemed like only yesterday they celebrated Halloween and Elizabeth and that first year wore costumes. Now it was Christmas vacation, and there weren't many Gryffindors left to occupy the dormitories.

"Will you give it up, already? You're never going to beat me," Ron was saying to Elizabeth.

"Just one more game. Come on! Please?" she begged.

Ron sighed and after a moment, he consented. "Only one more."

Harry's thoughts drifted as he half-watched the next chess game. He hadn't heard anything from Voldemort and that worried him. He didn't even _feel_ anything from him in a while, and he was just barely practicing Occlumency. Something was wrong, and Harry didn't want to find out too late.

"Check mate," Ron said.

"What!?" Elizabeth gasped. She looked around the board. She grumbled in frustration as she saw that Ron had check-mated her, once again.

"I told you, you weren't ever going to beat me."

"Well, I can keep trying," Elizabeth retorted.

"Not today." Ron got up from his seat and looked at Harry. "I'm stopping over at the kitchens. Want to come?"

"No, thanks," Harry said.

Ron shrugged and left the Common Room.

Harry let out a deep breath and started thinking about the whole dementor thing. Why were they coming? Did Voldemort want to attack the school?

Everyone's day passed and no one noticed that Hogwarts was about to be under siege.

The next Hogsmeade visit was three days before Christmas. Ron asked Harry if he could make a list of things he wanted to buy, since Harry wouldn't be able to buy them. Harry agreed and told Ron everything, not mentioning why he wanted to buy a used broom that used to belong to the Chudley Cannons. He gave him a healthy load of galleons.

"Ready?" Harry whispered to Ron.

"You know, Harry, you're going to get me into _real_ trouble one of these days," Ron sighed.

"So," Elizabeth started as she walked down the stairs from her dormitory. "Where are we going?"

"Hogsmeade," Harry replied simply.

"I know that, but where, exactly?"

"You'll just have to wait and see."

They set off and entered the village. Harry was just a bit nervous.

"Why don't we go to the Three Broomsticks?" Ron asked cheerfully.

The three of them walked in and picked a seat, Harry in the middle. "What'll you have, Ron?" he asked. "Ron?" But Ron was gone. He had disappeared.

"_Oh, man_, what if something happened to him?" Elizabeth cried as she tried to see his seat. It was kind of difficult with Harry in the way.

"I guess he just wanted to hang out with some other people. He's perfectly fine, I'm certain," Harry responded with a little more meaning than he'd intended.

"If you're so sure," Elizabeth murmured.

They ordered and ate breakfast in silence. Elizabeth didn't say anything until Harry paid for the both of them.

"Dude, I could've paid for myself. I'll pay you back when we get back to—"

"No, no, that's alright. Paying for the other person is what you do when you're on dates, isn't it?" Harry interrupted.

Elizabeth's eyes widened as she blushed. She said no more. She shook her head as she realized what had conspired against her.

The both of them wandered about Hogsmeade, having fun. Harry told Elizabeth some of the stories that went with some of the old buildings. Harry deliberately avoided the Shrieking Shack, and Elizabeth knew why.

When it came time for lunch, Harry wanted to try a desolate-looking restaurant on the other side of the village. They went in to find it completely deserted.

"Harry, I think this place is empty of all life except us," Elizabeth commented, looking at the dust.

"I don't think a lot of people notice this place. There are still staff members."

They sat down and were waited on, proving Harry's point. Once again, they ate in silence. This time, it was very uncomfortable.

"Are you going to explain to me why you made Ron abandon us, and why you brought me to this vacant hole in the wall?" Elizabeth questioned suspiciously.

"Er…I needed to tell you something," Harry stuttered.

"What?"

Harry blushed and opened his mouth, ready to say something, but was stopped by, "Harry! Look out! Someone's coming!" Ron had bolted in through the door. He had a lot of packages in his hands.

"What are you talking about?" Harry inquired quickly.

"If you don't want to be cursed into an oblivion, I'd suggest hiding. I thought they weren't going to use their reservation, but they are. They're on their way, now," Ron explained breathlessly.

Harry and Elizabeth got up and ran under one of the tables. Ron was under the one next to them.

"What do you mean, Ron?" Harry asked quietly.

"You got in on Michael Corner's reservation. I thought he wasn't going to use it. I was wrong. Now he and Cho are probably right at the door."

Harry turned to see the couple enter the building. Cho was hanging on Michael's arm. "This place is so nice!" she simpered. He turned to look away and found himself looking straight into Elizabeth's eyes. There he found a look of complete understanding. Though it was a bit unnerving, as her gaze seemed to be a lot like Dumbledore's when he searches your soul, it comforted Harry to know that someone knew what he was going through.

"Let's get out of here," Ron whispered.

"Right," Elizabeth agreed. The three of them stood up and ran out of the restaurant without being seen.

"That would have been really nasty," Ron stated as they breathed fresh air.

"You can say that again," Harry sighed.

"Give me the invincibility cloak, Ron," Elizabeth requested.

"Invisibility," Harry corrected softly.

"How'd you know I had it?"

"You do? I knew it! I just guessed before."

Ron handed it over and Elizabeth slipped off, leaving the boys in puzzlement.

"Where'd you think she went?" Ron questioned as they made their way back to the Three Broomsticks.

Harry just shrugged as he walked in. And he walked into total chaos. Draco Malfoy was dripping in what seemed to be butterbeer, and a rancid stench was drifting in the room. And sitting at a table far away from the commotion, was Elizabeth, sipping her drink, keeping her laughter in check. Harry and Ron joined her, and she informed them of everything that happened.

On their way back to the castle, Harry noticed that Elizabeth still had his invisibility cloak.

"Give it back," he warned.

Elizabeth made a frustrated hiss as she reached into her pocket and drew the silvery cloak. "Damn. Almost thought you forgot."

Christmas day, Harry woke up to find he was the first awake. Ron and Neville were still snoring peacefully. Harry dressed and entered the Common Room. It was empty.

Harry walked to the Christmas tree and sorted out the gifts. A few first years had a big load of presents. They looked to be from their parents. Harry looked at them with envy. Oh to have a family that loves you. He shook his head of that nonsense. He does have a family that loves him. The Order was a family of sorts, wasn't it?

He looked at the six gifts he put in a pile for him. Ron had eight. Elizabeth had seven. Harry hoped they would wake up soon. He wanted to see how they liked their presents. Hedwig had to do quite a bit of flying around to get everything. Harry needed to get Ron and Elizabeth stuff, and he needed to do it discreetly. For that, he used Hedwig.

"Merry Christmas!" The shout startled Harry out of his thoughts.

"Happy Christmas, Elizabeth," Harry called back.

"Are we just waiting for Ron?" she asked as she sat beside Harry.

"Yeah. He'd better get his lazy bum out of bed soon," he joked.

"What about my lazy bum?" Ron cut in. It looked like he just got up. (He did, though.) His hair was sticking up in various places and his voice was groggy.

"There you are. Can we start now?" Elizabeth implored.

"You can open the first one," Ron offered to Elizabeth.

She picked one her parents had sent her and blushed when it was underwear. They went around until all their presents were opened.

Harry got the weirdest gift of all of them. It was the crystal dome that was in Dumbledore's office. The purple flower was still inside. The card with the package read,

_Dear Harry._

_This was yours, but because of what happened with your parents, it was lost. Do not bring it in direct contact with Elizabeth or her rose._

_Your first Occlumency lesson will take place the Friday before vacation is over._

_Happy Christmas.'_

It wasn't signed.

"It's obviously from Dumbledore," said Elizabeth.

"Yeah. He's one of the only teachers who know about Harry's Occlumency. Besides, that dome was in his office, wasn't it?" Ron added.

"It was mine? I don't remember ever having a flower that lasted forever," Harry commented.

After lunch, the Gryffindors who stayed for vacation had a large snowball fight. The sixth years were about to win when everyone was called back to the castle. Something had broken Dumbledore's protection.

* * *

**Preview:** "I got a letter last night with something really weird in it," Elizabeth started, once everyone was preoccupied with their charms.

"What was it?" Ron asked.

"It had this strange locket. My parents told me it was my grandmother, and it talks."

"Talks? A locket?" Harry repeated.

(A/N: Try guessing at the costume, again! I'm sure you'll get it right this time! ^_^)


	21. The Locket

(A/N:  Terribly sorry about the more-than-a-month wait…Can you say, "Life's a rollarcoaster?" sigh It's just been a hell of a month, and then some.

**Naja607: **no…no…Don't worry, as time goes on, the hints will be more and more obvious. Yeah the date thing was just a bit of fluff…not sure if its part of the plot…it might be, I'm just not sure…hmmm…hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Rocky235: **You've got to be kidding. Witch Woman? Where on earth did you get W? It was X, you know, from X-Men? Naja607 got it right with Storm. I told you last chapter; Elizabeth was _not_ Severus. She wouldn't know anything about that. The dress was in the same fashion as was worn between 1910 and 1920. It was not _made_ between 1910 and 1920.

Hint 3: It's from a movie.

Hint 4: Her co-star is Tobey Maguire's best friend.

Maybe you'll get it now…possibly not, because I don't think either of you are as obsessed about Tobey Maguire as I was so you wouldn't _know_ his best friend…unless you happened to catch something by chance…Good luck. Hey, if after three more chapters, you still don't get it, I'll just tell you, and then you'll be smacking your forehead saying "D'OH!"

* * *

Christmas vacation was over, and everyone was getting back to work.

"I've got something to tell you the minute we get the chance," Elizabeth whispered to Harry on the way to potions.

"Charms is the perfect place," he replied.

After fifty minutes of keeping silence, the trio trooped to charms.

"Today, we will be learning how to make miniature moving items. On each desk is a simple, bewitched, wooden shape. Beside it is a small block of wood. There will be two charms that will be used today, so do not worry if you can not whittle," Flitwick explained. "The two charms are _formo_ and_ effingo_. _Formo_ is the spell that will make the wooden block the same shape as the bigger object. _Effingo_ will copy the movements and make the smaller object move the same way."

"I got a letter last night with something really weird in it," Elizabeth started, once everyone was preoccupied with their charms.

"What was it?" Ron asked.

"It had this strange locket. My parents told me it was my grandmother, and it talks."

"It talks? A locket?" Harry repeated.

"Yeah—"

"Why don't you try it out?" Ron asked.

"Uh…I would have," Elizabeth paused. "But I lost it. I have no idea where it could be."

"_Elizabeth_," Ron moaned. "It might've been something important!"

"Where did you last see it?" asked Harry.

"If I knew that, I wouldn't have lost it, now, would I?"

After useless bickering, the three of them understood that the locket was gone. The argument ended when they entered the transfiguration classroom.

"I know you have skimmed the topic of animagus some years ago, but this is the time when few of you might discover that you are natural animagi. Now, does that mean that all you have to do is blink and become any animal at will? Certainly not. There is still a sufficient amount of studying and practice that goes into a natural animagus' training. It simply doesn't take quite as long. Whereas a person who decides that they wish to become an animagus one morning may need to study for two years before even _attempting_ to transform, a natural animagus studies for two _months_. The main question is what should you study? For any of you who find the signs of a natural animagus in your friends, you may wish to tell them that the required reading material is not attainable at Hogwarts."

Moans followed this speech. Harry, who found it absurd to be a natural animagus, laughed a little at McGonagall's egging on. He knew she told the class that they still might have a chance for becoming animagi and then blasted their hopes deliberately. He stopped laughing as he looked at Elizabeth's crestfallen face.

Trying to forget the day the three just had, they marched to dinner quietly almost seven hours later. The teachers loaded on the homework. Even Professor McGonagall, who had said that the needed books were unavailable through Hogwarts, had assigned an essay on the signs of a natural animagus. Flitwick had them practice the copying charms so that they could do them perfectly tomorrow, Snape had them researching certain ingredients, and Blade made fifth years and up write up an essay about Patronuses and anyone who didn't know how to conjure one, even slightly, was instructed to try and try under the leaders of their years.

All in all, Harry would have been surprised if his right arm didn't fall right off after all the homework was finished.

"What the bloody hell is an esophagus?" Ron asked. He looked over the potions list.

"It's a part of the body. You know, where the food goes down to get to the stomach?" Elizabeth explained.

"Right…well, it says you need a dragon esophagus for some weird, dangerous potion. Can't even pronounce the thing," he said.

"Look out!" Harry shouted as a raven swooped near their heads. As fast as it flew in, it was gone the minute they tried to get a closer look at it.

"Okay, I just got used to owls. Now I have to get used to ravens, too?" Elizabeth questioned.

"Witches and wizards _usually_ use owls," commented Harry.

"Unless their evil witches or wizards." The three cast a dark glance at each other.

That night, Harry was really worried that he had some kind of illness that brought on sleep deprivation. Images of ravens and lockets swirled in his mind. He got up to walk around in the Common Room when he saw a glint of gold in a corner. He went over by it and saw that it was a necklace with a gold, heart-shaped pendant. There were weird markings on it. Curiosity got the better of him as he opened it. He had to squint to get a good look.

Inside was a picture of an elderly woman with short, black hair that was streaked with gray. She had large brown eyes, much like a dog's. She had a large, hooked nose and a thin smile. Unless he was mistaken, Harry could have sworn the woman's eyes twinkled.

"Who are you?" Harry asked aloud. He made to close it.

"I am Gloria Pentillo."

He reopened it and looked at the woman in surprise. He hadn't expected it to talk back.

"That's better. I've been closed for so long. Only certain people can open me, you see," she said.

"Who do you belong to?" Harry asked.

"Well, myself, when I was alive. I was planning on giving it to my eldest granddaughter, the only who would be able to open me save for one other family." She paused and her big eyes widened. "Jack! You've found me! Did I go back in time? What happened? Why do you look like you're still in Hogwarts?" She continued the rapid fire of questions, and quit when she saw Harry looked utterly confused.

"You're not Jack Potter, are you?" she inquired sadly.

"No. I'm Harry."

"Of course. Completely foolish of me to think I'd gone back in time. It's just…I miss him. I truly do." Her eyes gained a glassy look, as though she wanted to cry.

"Who's Jack Potter?"

"Jack Potter is the father of James Potter. I think it's safe to assume that you are the son of James Potter."

"Yeah. How do you know my family?"

"One can get quite bored with answering and asking questions. But I must ask one more. Is my eldest granddaughter, Elizabeth Pentillo, here? There is something of importance she must witness."

"She's sleeping at the moment. What are you going to show her?"

The locket gazed thoughtfully. "I suppose I can show you. After all, you were present. Now, Harry Potter, do you trust me enough to put the past behind you and accept the chance to see this memory?"

"Sure." Uncertain of what the locket meant exactly, he had no time to think on it before he was sucked into the locket. Talk about diaries and Pensieves happening all over again.

(Once again, sorry for the wait!!!!!! TT)


	22. The Memory

Harry looked around him. He noted that it was a first birthday party in a hall. As he passed one of the tables, he saw a cake that read, '_Happy 1st Birthday, Elizabeth!_' So now he knew who's birthday it was. He scanned the room and found the woman from the locket.

"Do you expect them, Gloria?" a large, pale woman asked. She had long, black hair.

"Of course, I do. Jack always keeps his word, Dawn." It was said with quiet dignity and confidence.

Harry gulped as he realized that they were talking about his grandfather.

"Did he say if he was bringing anyone?" Dawn asked.

"Why, I do believe he did. He was bringing his eldest and his family," Gloria answered.

"They have a little boy about the same age, don't they?"

They conversed a little while longer. Harry saw another woman who must have been the Dawn's mother. She wasn't quite as pale, and her hair was brown. She was talking to a very thin man with a large nose.

Harry walked over by them, filled with curiosity.

"Are you really going to pay me the hundred grand?" the man asked.

"Latronis, do you doubt my word?"

"Begging your pardon, Nita, but you are the one who is going to trick your family and kill the girl," Latronis commented.

Nita made a thoughtful sound. "I suppose you're right. But that bastard should have known that I would have vengeance for putting that _unclean_ life into the world. I will pay you in cash tomorrow. You know where my house is."

Latronis looked delighted. "You do know that I am also one of those unclean lives, right?"

"Of course. You just chose to make the world a better place. I can't condemn you for that, now, can I?"

"Though you've tried."

The two laughed gaily as though he made some hilarious joke. It made Harry sick to think that they were talking about killing someone with that kind of attitude. Not wanting to hear anymore, Harry stepped back over by Gloria, who had an infant on her lap. After a minute, Harry realized it was Elizabeth.

"Gloria," said Dawn, "they're here."

Two men with black hair that was sopping wet walked in with a woman and a baby. The baby had the same black hair, and large green eyes.

"Jack, you've brought James and his family. How wonderful!" Gloria stood up and embraced Jack.

Harry had to look away. A lump caught in his throat at the sight of his parents. They were young and happy.

"That wasn't all I brought," Jack grinned. Three other men came in from the rain. Harry instantly recognized them from old photos as Remus, Sirius, and Wormtail.

A line of curses went through Harry's head and were said before he knew what he was doing. Unfortunately, this was only a memory, and Harry's curses did nothing to the drenched, smiling rat.

"So glad you let us come!" he exclaimed.

"Always a pleasure to have James' friends around," Gloria smiled.

"That's only because you don't know them well enough," Lily commented jokingly. She took the baby out of his stroller and put him on her shoulder. "Gloria, meet Harry."

"Aren't you the most darling boy?"

The older Harry squirmed uncomfortably as he watched the woman dote on him. He saw Elizabeth wave at the baby in Gloria's arms. A jolt shot through Harry as the little boy waved back with a smile on his face.

"Gloria, you're monopolizing Elizabeth, again!" Nita said, bustling over to them.

"Oh, am I? Terribly sorry, Nita. You can take her." Gloria was still playing with Lily's son, who seemed to adore her.

Only the older Harry saw the smirk of triumph on Nita's face as she roughly picked up Elizabeth. Harry quickly followed her out the hall and into the rain. Elizabeth now started crying, but no one inside could hear because of the storm.

Latronis sneaked outside and scanned the horizon with his shifty eyes.

It was then Harry realized they meant to kill Elizabeth. With horrid desperation, he tried to do something, anything that would make someone notice what they were doing.

To his relief, the door opened, and Sirius poked his head out. "Er…Something's going on inside that they need Elizabeth for. Can you bring her in, please?"

"Right," Nita nodded.

Harry let out the breath he hadn't noticed he'd been holding. When they got inside, Dawn and Lily were holding flowers. '_Hey, Dawn's got my daisy_,' he thought. Lily held a rose that matched her eyes. '_And there's Elizabeth's rose_.'

After an odd ceremony, the flowers were switched, and given to the babies.

"Gloria, I know I'm a muggle, and I don't understand most of the rituals, but will this affect their lives when they're older? I mean, was some spell on those flowers that'll make them…Oh, I don't know…fall in love, maybe, even if they weren't destined to?" Dawn questioned.

Gloria sighed and looked and Elizabeth. "Of course not, Dawny. They might not even see each other, again. One of these days I'll have to explain destiny to you. It's pretty much the same for muggles and wizards, especially with the fact that one must stay true to destiny, and there's nothing you can do about it." The light in Gloria's eyes died, and sadness replaced it. She stole a glance at Jack, who was talking animatedly with James and Lily about when James was a little baby.

At that moment, Nita returned. "Oh, I just can't get enough of this little doll!" she exclaimed as she grabbed Elizabeth. She made to walk outside with her, again. The storm hadn't stopped, and it was going well into eight thirty at night.

This time, Harry saw Gloria's eyes harden with dislike and horror. He knew that she knew what was going to transpire. Though why she was doing nothing escaped him.

Harry ran to catch up with Nita and Latronis. "Now. Now. Now. Now." It was a mantra for Nita. A mad glint and sadistic smile disfigured her face. She put the child down and laughed hysterically. "I shall go in and say some barbarian took her from my arms!"

Latronis took out his wand. "Avada—"

"Oh, no, you don't! Avada Kadavra!"

A familiar green light, intensified by two, blinded Harry for a second. When it receded, he saw two dead bodies and a crying baby. A ghost seemed to come out of Latronis' body and entered Elizabeth's little body. Helpless, Harry stood there, not knowing how a ghost could kill a living body.

The girl screamed louder, and a white light shot out from her left hand that engulfed her completely. The last thing Harry saw was Latronis' ghost emerge, red as fire, and then descend below the ground.

(A/N: Yes…Since school is out this story will continue a bit faster, now….. I don't see any of you shouting for joy…Hmm…A/N's will be here from now on…and I don't think I'll continue having the previews…I'm getting very lazy. ..

**Naja607: **I'm very sorry. I just couldn't write. School was agonizing and horrible. Ya know what, I'll just end your misery. She was Rose from Titanic. I didn't describe her well enough so don't worry if you think you should have known it. Ummm…my…uh…money doesn't stretch that far…They only gave me 450$ scholarship and I can't pay for it. I'm going to have to go to Argo. Sorry. I would have loved to go to the same high school as you but money sucks booty. Thanks for reviewing! Hope you liked this chapter!)


	23. Heroism and the Rotten Potions Master

Harry came back to the present with an unpleasant thump. The locket was lying open, but the picture was now motionless. '_What on earth was that about?_' he asked himself. Suddenly, several screams pierced the night.

Harry saw two figures slide down the banisters and land in front of him.

"Harry? What're you doing down here?" Elizabeth asked.

"Don't bother him. At least he's not up there!" Ron said, looking around, terrified.

"What's going on?"

"Dementors, Harry. Loads of them. There are about five roaming the girls' dormitories—"

"And about ten more searching the boys'," finished Ron.

"What are they looking for?"

"All students please remain calm and make your way to the Great Hall. Thank you," said a loud voice from everywhere.

"Harry," Elizabeth whispered, "About three dementors were going through your stuff. They threw away this," she handed him the Marauder's Map, "this," the invisibility cloak, "and this," the sneakascope.

"The three things I'd need to hide the most, and they throw them away." Harry shook his head at this. "So, what, are dementors just attacking the school?"

"No, they're here for tea," said Ron.

"We really should get to the Great Hall." Ron sulked when Elizabeth interrupted his sarcasm.

"What about those people still up there?" Harry asked.

Elizabeth mumbled something inaudible under her breath, and Harry could have sworn he made out, 'a _saving people_ thing,' out of the words she said. "If you don't want to help, you can just go."

Defeated by this doggedness, Elizabeth sighed and started making her way back up the stairs. "You do know that my makeshift Patronus is going to make no difference what-so-ever, right?" She turned around to face Harry.

"Whatever you do would make a difference. You don't just have to use a Patronus. There are other things. Just use your head," Harry assured.

Elizabeth snorted as if to say, "My head's useless," and continued walking up the stairs.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Harry," Ron said.

"I do, Ron. I do." And with that, Harry ran up the stairs to the boys' dormitories, where people were being held hostage in their own rooms.

"Harry!" screamed one of the boys. "What was the charm for the Patronus, again?"

"_Expecto patronum_," he reminded. He took out his wand. '_A happy memory…_' he thought, and cursed to himself when he couldn't find one. '_When Malfoy's drink exploded on him!_' "_EXPECTO PATRONUM!_" A great silver stag emerged from his wand and charged down the dementors.

It did not fade until every single dementor disappeared.

Across the way, a feeble voice was chanting, "_Expecto…expecto…expecto patronum…expect…expecto patronum…_"

Dementors were closing in all around the girls, who had gathered into one dormitory. Only two were still on their feet, but only just. Elizabeth and the girl Annabelle Lewis had their wands out.

"I told you this spell is too advanced for you!" Elizabeth screamed.

"That doesn't mean I can't try!" Annabelle yelled back.

Elizabeth growled in frustration and pushed the first year back. "_Expecto…_" a dementor swooped nearer, and the memories of death and destruction were getting louder. "_expecto…expecto patronum…_" She and the first year collapsed, but Elizabeth fought to stay conscious. "_expect…expecto patronum…_" As much as she tried, Elizabeth felt herself being led away. She lay there, not noticing the dementor drawing closer.

"Harry, the girls!" Ron shouted. That's when Harry noticed that all the girls weren't in the Common Room.

"Do you think they already left for the Great Hall?" Neville asked.

"They wouldn't have. Elizabeth would have known that she had to make sure we were all here," Harry replied. He scanned the Common Room, but there were no signs of anyone.

"They must be still in the dormitories!" yelled Ron.

Harry tried to go up the stairs, and expected to be thrown down. To his amazement, however, the stairs stayed in position, and the boys of Gryffindor rushed to the aid of the struggling females.

Harry ran into the all the girls' dormitories, looking for anyone who needed help. He found all of the girls in the seventh year dormitory, and they were all passed out. His breath expelled from his lungs painfully as he saw a dementor crouched over Elizabeth.

Fighting to gain back the happiness of his memory, he pointed his wand at the dementor. "_Expecto patronum!_" he said. He cursed when it was nothing but mist. '_She's going to be fine. Hermione's going to come back, and we're all going to be friends. We're going to be a foursome instead of a trio._' "_EXPECTO PATRONUM!_" As the stag drove the dementors away, Harry ran to Elizabeth. He felt warmth seep into his body as he knelt down beside her. He shook her gently.

Suddenly, her eyes opened and she sat up quickly. The two collided heads. "We _seriously_ need to stop doing that," Elizabeth commented faintly as she rubbed her head.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked.

"Yeah…just a little cold…that's all."

Harry didn't like how weak her voice still sounded. "Come on. We'll take you to the Great Hall."

Though Elizabeth's figure was anything but delicate, it astonished Harry to discover how frail she looked. Her eyes had dark circles under them, and her face was pale. Her hands were shaking as Harry pulled her to her feet. "Here," he said, and put her arm around his shoulder.

Everyone reported safely to the Great Hall, where the teachers that were stationed there were frantic.

"Potter!" said Professor Snape. "The announcement to come to the Great Hall was given a half hour ago. Where have you been?"

"Sorry, Professor, but all of Gryffindor was trapped," Ron answered.

"Ah," Snape said. "Having another moment, Potter? Couldn't stand to pass up the chance to play hero?" he asked, throwing a glance at Elizabeth, who was still hanging on to Harry. "I should have assumed as much. Fifty points will be deducted from Gryffindor for your irresponsibility, Potter."

"What?" several Gryffindors cried at once.

"Professor, if Harry and the other Gryffindor boys hadn't saved us, Elizabeth would have been kissed!" Annabelle Lewis spoke up, making her way through the crowd. Many other girls made their agreement with this known.

"Silence! If those who would have been able to leave had left, the teachers would have gotten there in time, and no one would need to _grope_ on another student for support." This remark had several Slytherins snickering.

At this, Elizabeth let go of Harry and stood on her own for a few seconds. She fought to keep standing, but her legs were trembling.

"Potter, take the damsel in distress to the hospital wing before she faints dramatically," Snape sneered.

Harry led Elizabeth around and started toward the hospital wing. "That slimy scumbag of a mother—"

"Oh, and, Potter?" Snape called out. "Do make sure she keeps her mouth shut, or Gryffindor will lose more points."

Fuming, Elizabeth glared at the way in front of her.

"Why are you so…" Harry searched for a word to put her condition delicately. "effected by dementors?"

"Too many things have happened to me that I'd rather not remember…I don't take too well to cold, either." All Elizabeth wanted to do was the lie down and sleep for the next month. Harry noticed her eyes kept closing.

"Were you up all night, too?" he asked.

"I don't really remember. I think I was. It's all a blur until I woke up and the dementors were gone."

Harry left Elizabeth in the hospital wing to tell Ron what he discovered before the attack. It had been bothering him since Gryffindor Tower was made safe. How was he supposed to tell Elizabeth that her grandmother had wanted to kill her?

(A/N:

**Naja607:** The flowers are really essential to the plot, they are not just there for show. It's really cool how everything fits. I didn't know I could do that... I will miss you, too. I hope that we will still see each other over the years. STAY IN GIRL SCOUTS!!! O.O Um...I am having a good summer so far. I graduated on May 30th, hurray for me.. I hope YOU have a good summer. e.e Thanks for the review. Keep on reading! .... Funness Rambling HouseKey)


	24. A New Form

"Well, that must have been interesting," said Ron. Harry has just told him about the locket.

"To say the least." The both of them walked into the Common Room, and Harry looked for the locket. "It's gone!"

"What? But I thought you said you left it there."

"I did. The dementors…Maybe that's what they were looking for. Hold on." He raced up the stairs and tried to find his flower. That, too, was missing. "The daisy's gone, too," he informed Ron as he went back downstairs.

That night, at dinner, Harry was surprised to see Elizabeth well. She sat down by Ron and him and didn't say anything.

"Before we sample another pleasant dinner, there are some things I have to tell you about." Dumbledore stood up and cleared his throat. "You all know what horror attacked our school just yesterday. I think all who were effected badly have recovered, and those who were too far gone, released. This is the time where I remind you that this is a _war_, and where war goes, death and destruction follow. There were casualties from this attack. A fairly large number, in fact. It is with grief that I read these names to honor them." Harry didn't know any of the people mentioned, but like Dumbledore had said, there were quite a few.

"As those of you who own the _Prophet_ would already know, the Minister of Magic was attacked in the same manner our school was. Being in the Ministry at the time had its advantages, as they had several trained wizards to get rid of the dementors. They were dealt with ruthlessly, as you can imagine.

"I have enlisted the help of some wizards, and they will be patrolling the school at night, and when classes are not in session. If you see any of them, do not be alarmed. They will have a pin that signifies who they are. If a grown wizard is walking around without the pin, please contact the nearest teacher immediately."

"Lastly," Dumbledore continued, "I wish you all a fine meal."

Because Quidditch was canceled, Harry, Ron, and Elizabeth found themselves with more time than they knew what to do with. Harry used this extra time for studies. He really wanted to be an Auror.

Harry kept noticing that Elizabeth would sneak off to somewhere at night. He thought this odd, for she had told him her make-up classes were finished. Before he knew what he was thinking, jealousy built up. '_What if she's seeing someone?_' came unbidden to his mind. Shaking his head, he told himself that he shouldn't care.

"This week's lessons will be on potions that block normal body processes. Most of these potions are illegal, like ones that stop you form breathing, and others that may stop your heart or your digestive system.

"There is one in particular that is seriously illegal. It is called the Confutus Ventris, or, in slang terms, the Stomach Stopper. It takes all the saliva out of the mouth and stomach acid out of its respective place and transfers all of it to the rectum without ruining anything. It then blocks everything from going from the stomach to anywhere else except back up through the esophagus. Its color is a sort of discolored peach. No other potion looks like it, for it has purple drops floating on its surface when it is completed.

"Medieval wizards used this potion to make the stomach the ultimate blending machine. The stomach will still grind whatever goes down there, making it a solution. The potion, since it stops material from going through the intestines, makes the substance go the other way out. The vomit contains no bodily fluids, only what was put in there to begin with. The Ministry of Magic made this potion illegal because of a certain curse that needs this potion. That curse could destroy the world.

"Should the potion be made, there is an antidote. But you don't need it as the effects wear off after an hour." Snape paused and took a breath. "Once again, you can not take initiative and take notes. Five points from Gryffindor because your heads are not where they are supposed to be." He looked straight at Harry, who was doodling on his notebook. Ron nudged him to let him know that Snape had seen him doodling. Harry looked up, saw the items written on the board, and began copying them.

As they walked out, Elizabeth told Harry that what he had copied down was for the seventh years, not the sixth.

"I had to make it look like I was doing something," Harry commented.

"Snape's a rotten, unjust, unkempt, foul-minded, no-good, son of a—"

"Elizabeth!" Ron shushed. They had to be escorted to classes, and Snape was right in front of them.

The students were still allowed to go to Hogsmeade, as the town was completely safe. The last time they went there, Elizabeth decided to show Harry and Ron why she had been sneaking off at night.

"Where's some place we can go without being seen?" she asked.

"Stoat's Hill, but it's a bit of a climb to get there," Harry answered.

"Oh well, it'll be worth it, trust me."

The three of them went up to Stoat's Hill. They sat down in the cave where Sirius had lived for a few months.

"This means you're not leaving at night anymore, right?" Harry questioned Elizabeth anxiously.

"Right." Elizabeth took a deep breath. "I don't have it completely down, but it's nothing practice won't cure." She closed her eyes and appeared to be deep in concentration for about fifteen seconds. Then she began to change shape. After an agonizingly long wait, there was an animal that looked like a snake in her place.

It looked like a snake with wings and four reptilian legs. The main body color was silver with different markings all over. One particular symbol was black and blue and it showed a snake swallowing its own tail. The wings were blue, silver, and black.

The snake stood on its back legs, and Harry stood up with it. Harry noticed that the snake was the same height Elizabeth was when she was human. Then he saw her eyes. They were the colors of the earth from outer space, a pattern of green, white, blue, and brown. Harry was speechless.

"B-blood-dy hell," Ron stuttered.

Elizabeth changed back and looked at them, waiting for their opinion. "Well?"

"I repeat what I said before. Bloody hell," Ron said, this time without stuttering.

"That's amazing, Elizabeth. That's what you were doing in the library the whole time?" Harry asked.

"I was looking for the book for the longest time. McGonagall was wrong. The material _is_ attainable at Hogwarts. Out in the open, too. But anyway, I finally tried it about a month ago. As you can see, I'm still a bit slow on transforming," she explained.

"Can you transform, again? I want to test out something," Harry requested. He wanted to see if she'd understand Parseltongue. She changed. "Can you understand me?"

"Yes, I can. I think Ron's a bit confused by this." Then she made a noise Harry recognized as a snake laughing.

Ron did look a bit perplexed. He had no idea what they were saying and he felt out of place. Elizabeth transformed back into a human.

"What's the symbol on your head? It looks like a snake eating itself," said Ron.

"It's called the uburous. It's a sign of unity; continuity; a never ending circle. It's some Wiccan thing I read about one time."

The three talked about Elizabeth's new form for the rest of the time. On their way back, Harry realized something. "Ron, have you ever seen something like that animal?" he asked.

"No."

"Then you've a faulty memory. Remember Charlie's Buto?"

"Right! But Elizabeth was bigger than the Buto."

"Just because the one we saw was small, doesn't mean it will stay that small."

"So you mean to tell me…"

"That Charlie's dragon is going to get bigger."

(A/N: Whoa, we're getting to the action scene!!! AHHH!!! It's great fun!!! Well…most of it is…One thing's not, but anywayz…This is so cool! We're almost finished!!!!!!!!!! That means the sequel will come out soon!!!!! AHH!!!! That one's my favorite. This has been a biotch to type and copy and transfer to this computer from my laptop, and I can't wait until all I have to do is upload the next chapter!!!!!!!)


	25. You Idiot!

"Can I borrow your invisibility cloak?" Elizabeth asked, a couple days after the Hogsmeade trip. It was late at night, and everyone was supposed to be sleeping.

"Why?" replied Harry.

"Because I left something somewhere and I need to get it back."

"I'm not going to let you borrow it if you're going to give me generalities."

Elizabeth took a deep breath to control her anger. "You know that letter from my parents about the locket?"

Harry nodded, waiting for the rest of the explanation.

"Well…I sort of…lost it…in…the Shrieking Shack," she trailed, looking to the ground like a little child that had been caught doing something bad.

"You what? How'd you get there in the first place?" Ron asked.

"I…took the cloak while you were sleeping. I only borrowed it without permission, and put it back in its proper place when I was done…"

"Wait a minute. When did you lose the letter?" questioned Harry.

"Right before the attack." Elizabeth's eyes were apologetic.

"You idiot! And they wonder _why_ dementors attacked the school!" Harry exclaimed suddenly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Elizabeth, the dementors attacked the school to find your locket and our flowers. How'd they know they were here? That letter you lost in the Shrieking Shack. Absolutely brilliant," he finished sarcastically.

"Hey! They would have found me here anyway! Look, maybe by just showing them to come here, maybe that saved the rest of my family from the Kiss, you know? And I am not an idiot, I just made one mistake," she said.

"One mistake that cost lives! Never become an Auror."

"Let me have the chance to get it back before someone else chooses to attack Hogwarts, not knowing whether or not the dementors have what they came for," she requested.

Harry thought about it for a minute. "Alright, but I'm going with you."

"Me, too," added Ron.

"No. We're not going to get caught up in some crazy adventure this time. Just in, and out, and we'll be back in no time. I'm going simply because no one would know if something happened to her, if she were alone."

"What shall I tell the professors if you're caught out of your beds?" asked Ron.

"Just tell them we left and didn't tell you where we were going," Elizabeth answered.

"That's going to be embarrassing for the both of you." He laughed at the blush that played on both their cheeks.

Harry and Elizabeth left the castle silently. When they were in close proximity to the Whomping Willow, Elizabeth transformed and pressed the knot. As they stepped into the Shrieking Shack ten minutes later, they dropped the cloak.

"It was right here…" Elizabeth muttered to herself. "Got it." She held up the paper before folding it and putting it in her pocket.

"Let's go. This place brings back too many memories."

They went back through the tunnel. "I'll go out first to see if anyone's out there. They probably aren't, but you never know when Hagrid wants to take a midnight stroll," explained Harry.

"Right."

He put the cloak on and stepped outside. He looked around for a moment, and then discovered that he couldn't move.

* * *

(A/N: Should I end it here? It would make a rather nice cliffy…ah but whatever…I'll keep going…)

A wall of black surrounded Harry.

"_Ennervate_," said the strangely high-pitched voice Harry knew so well.

Harry looked around again, and was surprised to find a few things that weren't there before he was stunned. There were wooden posts that had ledges on them that seemed to be for tying people up on them. How did he know this?

For one, a werewolf that Harry instantly recognized as Remus Lupin was tied to one of said posts. There were two more right next to him.

Before Harry knew what he was doing, he had sent red sparks into the sky. And cursed to himself when Voldemort laughed at him.

"There is no escape this time, Harry. There is a barrier around Hogwarts Castle that will keep all humans inside, or outside." Voldemort paused and scanned his followers. "Wormtail, tie Harry to that post by the werewolf."

As Harry was being attached, he noticed four cauldrons. One held what Snape classified as the Stomach Stopper. The next one had an unknown substance. It looked like liquid smoke. Another one was a pleasant green color. The last one was empty and over a fire. In the sky, Harry happened to see a glimmer of silver. Hope arose in his chest. "Who's there?" he asked in Parseltongue. Then he almost smacked himself in the head. Of course he knew who it was.

"Jusssst little ol' me," a voice answered. Harry had known it was Elizabeth.

"Go get help!" Harry warned, still in Parseltongue.

He had no idea whether or not Voldemort knew about Elizabeth's new form.

Voldemort looked at Harry. "Who _is_ this strange creature you're talking to? A helping hand? Or just a passing garter snake?" he asked menacingly. "Who are you?" he questioned in Parseltongue.

"Don't tell him!" screamed Harry.

"Tell me, or Harry Potter dies." It was that tone of voice that scared Elizabeth. It was soft, deadly, and frighteningly sincere.

She turned human and made her way into the circle, despite Harry's alarm. Glaring up at Voldemort, she replied quietly, "I am Elizabeth Pentillo." She stood there, waiting for him to say, "Kill her," or to just kill her himself, but no such thing happened.

"Wormtail, this is what the other post was for. Tie her to it!" he commanded quickly. Excitement was in his voice. When she was on it, Voldemort said, "_Lethargus_," and Elizabeth fell into a trance.

"What have you done to her?" Harry asked angrily. Her arm was held into an agonizing position with the outside of her left wrist pointing to the sky.

"Oh, she'll be fine until the process is complete."

Harry had to squint to block out some of the moon's light, as it was glaringly bright. He watched as Wormtail poured the Stomach Stopper into Elizabeth's mouth. He waited a few minutes, and then made her drink the liquid smoke. Harry watched in disgust as Elizabeth subconsciously chewed and swallowed the second potion.

Lupin was stirring and growling in contempt at Voldemort. Harry guessed that he had taken his Wolfsbane potion that night.

"A few more minutes and it will have begun. I guess I should explain why you're here, Mr. Lupin." The werewolf snarled in agreement. "A long time ago, an ancient tribe, most famous for its cynical views on the world, created a potion called the Annullius Perosus, or the Hate Destroyer, to make the world a better place. They knew there would be a time when love would no longer exist in the world and the potion they created was designed to rid the world of evil. It took a lot, and all of it had to take place under a full moon. Of course, the maker of the potion chose who to save and who not to.

"The starting potion has to be so well mixed that only a human stomach can make it that blended. That's why they outlawed the Stomach Stopper. They thought that if they did that, that would stop the potion from being brewed. Well, as you can see, laws seem to simply bounce off me.

"The Annullius Perosus needed werewolf's hair, and the werewolf had to be my enemy. In the aborigines' days, finding a werewolf who was an enemy was no problem, as the aborigines were generally good people, and werewolves are considered evil. So, I had to find a _good_ werewolf. Lupin, you really are a sap. I could've given you anything! But he hates me because of his friends. One betrayed him, the other two are dead. Tragic, isn't it? How one little girl's grandmother and a fraud of a seer could destroy so many innocent lives." Apprehension dawned on Harry. '_Of course!_' he thought, '_Latronis must have been his greatest follower. So when he died, Voldemort went on a rampage. He put two and two together and came after me and my parents first, killing two birds with one stone._'

"Once the Annullius Perosus has been properly mixed, the potion calls for one of my enemies with a curse scar that that enemy got from either me or one of my followers. Harry Potter was my first choice, before I found an error. Watch," he said. The moon hit the exact place, and a narrow beam of light shot to Elizabeth's left wrist. Elizabeth's eyes opened subconsciously to let the light out (that was one of the side effects of the potion to make it harder to create). Elizabeth's brown eyes became silver, but no light escaped.

"You see, if I had used Harry Potter, the light would have escaped through his irises, which don't have enough pigment to keep the light inside," Voldemort explained. "I had to use someone with dark eyes." After a few moments, Voldemort said, "_Eructo_," and that made Elizabeth retch into the empty cauldron. The potion was now a dark purple. Voldemort put the cauldron on the fire and told Wormtail to tend it.

When Elizabeth regained consciousness she suddenly felt a ripping sting in her left hand. She tried twisting it to make it feel better, but only succeeding in producing a snap from her wrist. She also awoke to a man inches in front of her face.

* * *

(A/N: There, now I'll end it…The next one might be quick in coming, I wanna get it out!!!!

**Amber: **Hope you made it this far. What's your exact pen name? I want to read your story, but did you know there are 159 pen names with Amber in them? I only checked six, and you weren't any of them. Oh well…Hope you enjoy the rest of the fic!)


	26. The WereWolf Plant

"Urgh!" cried out the death-eater. Elizabeth had spit in his eye.

"Now, now, Miss Pentillo. We simply cannot have that sort of behavior. How would this look to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the States, hmm?" Voldemort asked with a sneer. "Or perhaps there is no Minister of Foreign Affairs, or no Three Sisters Academy in Salem, Massachusetts?"

"What are you talking about?" Elizabeth questioned in frustration. Her wrist was smarting, and her entire arm was starting to cramp from the weird position.

"Or maybe you're not from Massachusetts? If I'm correct, you live in the most heavily muggle-inhabited are in the States. Am I correct?" Voldemort's voice had an acidic tone to it. His eyes glinted with madness. "You're not really a student, are you? You never learned a single thing about magic until you came here! So how is it that they let you come in the first place?"

"How am I supposed to know?" she cried. Tears were forming from the pain.

"Malfoy, cut her wrist from the binds. I can't stand to hear whining."

Lucius Malfoy cut her wrist free with the severing charm.

"And now, my _loyal_ followers, as you can see, the process is almost complete. In a few hours, this potion will have created a major ripple effect in the world. Once the unicorn's horn powder and the Hungarian Horntail's esophagus have been added, we will pour the potion along the roots of the Whomping Willow that I so cleverly planted here a long time ago—"

Lupin interrupted with a loud snarl that sounded like one word, "Wrong."

Voldemort chuckled. "Lupin, I happen to know a lot more about you than you think. You were bitten by an older woman at the age of 6. Dumbledore didn't want to say you couldn't come to school when you were eleven, so he asked a trustworthy friend about what he should do. That friend told him to plant this Willow, which would be the opening to your hiding place. That friend worked for me at the time. The woman who bit you was one of my death-eaters, as well." He grinned devilishly. "Dumbledore never even saw it coming. He can be manipulated so easily—"

"You're wrong!" Harry exclaimed. Hatred as Harry only felt once before welled up inside of him.

"I'm wrong? Then how is it that this worked so magnificently? But enough of this chitchat. There are more important things to do, like destroy the remains of this potion. Wormtail, you may have the honors."

"_Avada Kadavra_!" he cursed. Instead of pointing at Harry, he pointed at Lupin. Green light burst from his wand, but the tip of the curse looked like it was laden with silver.

"NO!" Harry yelled, struggling to get free of his ropes. The silver went straight into Lupin's heart.  There was no blood or dismemberment, just swift, painless death. Remus Lupin's eyes were still open, to be frozen forever in that face of shock. Though Harry didn't want to believe it, the last of the faithful Marauders was dead. By the hand of the one who betrayed him, no less.

Harry was in incredulity. "No…" he whispered. Lupin, who was the best defense against the dark arts teacher he ever had, one of his dad's best friends…dead…like Sirius before him…and James before him…Tears clouded Harry's eyes. '_Why does everyone have to suffer for my stupid mistakes?_' he thought bitterly.

"Harry!" Elizabeth said. "It wasn't your fault."

"It is ready, my lord," Malfoy informed.

"Have the ingredients been added?" he asked.

"Yes, my lord."

"Excellent." He turned around and selected a random death-eater. "You there, you get the honor of dumping the Annullius Perosus on the Willow's roots."

The death-eater nodded and picked up the cauldron. As he bent down, his hood fell back and his mask came off, exposing his face.

'_It can't be,_' thought Harry, '_Cornelius Fudge? Impossible! Dumbledore knew he wasn't._'

But there he was, obeying Voldemort as though he were a seasoned death-eater.

"Ah, Fudge. One of my _better_ hidden disciples."

As soon as Fudge poured the potion onto the roots, the tree began to shake violently.

"We now have three hours to wait for the tree to work its magic. When it is done, we will not know until we see a great purple cloud hovering six feet from the ground. All of you in my inner circle, take a _sip_ of the green potion," he commanded. They passed the small cauldron around and took a swallow of the green potion.

Intimidating, dark, swirling clouds were forming in the sky. The sky itself was turning a gray-ish color. Suddenly, the air turned cold. It was about late May, but it felt like a night in February. The Whomping Willow started hitting the ground with its braches. Where it struck, purple waves of power were omitting from the dirt. The waves flew over the horizon in every direction.

Still in pain, as her wrist was probably broken, Elizabeth discreetly grabbed her wand. While everyone was looking at the Willow, she quietly muttered, "_Diffindo_." She was careful to make it look like she was still tied. She pointed her wand at Harry's bindings and severed them. Harry looked at her, waiting to see if she had a plan. She shook her head.

"The Buto," Harry muttered. Elizabeth nodded and transformed. Harry quickly grabbed onto her middle and she took off in flight. They landed somewhere in the Forbidden Forest, close to the castle and Hagrid's hut.

They barely got their breath was someone tapped Harry on the shoulder. Harry and Elizabeth whipped around with their wands ready. Only to see Ron.

"Holy jeez!" Elizabeth sighed.

"Relax, mates, it's only me," Ron reassured.

"Ron, don't ever do anything like that, again," Harry warned. He had willed himself to be completely numb to the feeling of loss until Voldemort was gone.

"Where's the cloak? I had to get out here using my talent for sneaking. Did I mention I don't _have_ a talent for sneaking?" Ron said.

"I left it by the Willow," Harry explained. Then he realized something as he looked at the red, swelling barrier. "Elizabeth, notice how Voldemort said no _humans_ would be able to get through?"

"Brilliant," Elizabeth muttered. She changed into the Buto and flew right up to it. "What am I looking for?"

"I don't know. Just get some help. Try to stop the person who's controlling the barrier. When you come back out, we'll be over there." He pointed to Hagrid's hut. Elizabeth believed he meant behind it in the Forest. She nodded her reptilian head and flew into the castle.

Professor McGonagall was in the Entrance Hall, pacing frantically and murmuring questions and problems. "Oh, my goodness!" she exclaimed at seeing Elizabeth.

Elizabeth became human and said, "Professor, it's me."

"What, in heaven's name, is going on?" the professor asked.


	27. Lockets and Lights

"There's no time to explain. We need to find someone who is controlling the outside barrier," Elizabeth said breathlessly. She couldn't stand still while the Transfiguration teacher pondered their next move. They didn't notice a fiery bird flying behind them.

"Right. A barrier like the one outside has to be cast right inside it. The person who cursed the barrier into existence should be somewhere close to the castle." McGonagall and Elizabeth left the castle. Elizabeth went to the left, McGonagall to the left. Elizabeth got halfway around when she saw someone with their wand in the air, managing the red, swelling barricade.

"But, Professor, why?" she asked the silvery-blue eyes of the defense against the dark arts teacher.

"Because," Blade replied, "The Dark Lord has promised me more than I ever could have imagined."

"Did he promise you acceptance?" she inquired softly in understanding.

"More than that. He promised me _respect_. Respect is something you don't see too much of when you're a half-vampire."

"But Dumbledore hired you knowing who you were…"

"_Dumbledore_ has a history of hiring half-humans, so it didn't mean much. He'd already hired a half giant, a werewolf, and then a centaur. It's only logical he hire a half vampire. Next year, I expect you children will be taught defense against the dark arts by a mermaid," Blade spat.

"Voldemort has a history with dealing with dark creatures. That's all you are to him…a dark creature to be used for his bidding—"

"Shut up! You can't be right! You just can't be!"

"Oh?" she asked. "Then what do you call that ruthless dementor attack at the ministry of magic? Voldemort sent them there, knowing, expecting, hoping really, for the ministry's Aurors to destroy the dementors."

"He doesn't care about dementors. They have no soul—"

"You really shouldn't have let us learn about vampires, should you have, Professor Blade?" she continued. "Vampires have no soul, either. Half-vampires might have souls; it depends on the mother. If the father was the vampire, then, sure, you'll have a soul, but if it was the mother who was the vampire, then you're screwed, my friend."

"Enough of this asinine babble," a deep voice boomed from somewhere. "_Avada Kadavra_!" Elizabeth jumped behind Blade a split second later, and saw him collapse on the ground. She fell with him, to make it look like she'd been hit. As she watched the person, who owned the voice, leave, she felt something weird in her professor's coat pocket. She felt inside and grabbed out her locket and the two flowers. '_What was he doing with them_?' she thought as she transformed into the Buto. She flew over to the spot by Harry and Ron.

"Well?" Harry asked impatiently in Parseltongue.

"Hold your horses," she replied as she turned back into a human. "Blade had my locket and our flowers. Don't know why, but I got them back after this one guy killed him," she stammered.

"Why'd someone kill Blade?" Ron asked.

"I think…" Elizabeth's voice faltered. "I think they were aiming for me." She took the daisy and tried to pull it apart from the rose. Harry took the rose part and tried pulling.

In that moment, the locket opened by itself and was floating in the air. The carvings were glowing. The two flowers burst forth in light. A golden stream flowed up into the air as a silver streak tried to merge with it. They spiraled up until they seemed to hit sky. It was as though the black clouds were destroyed by the two entwined radiances. The lights got so bright that Elizabeth and Harry had to look away. The black clouds were dispersing and disappeared, but before they could be completely gone, a bird was struck by lightening.

"Fawkes!" Harry shouted. Fawkes exploded into a large ball of flames.

"Don't let go, Harry," Elizabeth said quietly. Harry nodded.

The locket loomed overhead and went towards the circle of death eaters. When it was near the Willow, the two brilliant lights spun around it, reflecting glorious colors. The then seemed to focus on one spot on the locket, the center. When all light was gone, except for in the center, the light shot of into the darkness.

Dementors caught in the blast disintegrated. The light hit the Whomping Willow and it collapsed in a heap of ashes. A gold line when west, north, east and everything in between; the silver line went east, south, west, and everything in between. They harmed nothing except Whomping Willows and dementors. When, at last, the light reached over the horizon, the locket exploded in a blaze of fire.

The fire, when finished consuming the locket, split in two. One fireball flew at Harry; the other went to Elizabeth. One stopped right in front of Harry; the other, Elizabeth. Harry stared at his, not knowing what to expect.

His fireball grew bigger so that it could gobble him up whole. He was starting to get scared, but something told him to stay where he was. The fire started to cover him, and a pleasant heat surrounded him. The fire quickly merged into his body and disappeared. The way Elizabeth was looking, apparently hers had done the same.

Voldemort had followed the fire to the teenagers. He smiled wickedly. "Now is my chance to finally kill you both. Latronis Maleficus was to be my right hand man, even before Wormtail. He was the most faithful follower I could have hoped for. And it's because of you," he paused and glared at Elizabeth, "that he's dead." He sneered and pulled out his wand.

"Tom, what way is that to talk to the heroes that just saved the world?" asked a calm voice. Professor Dumbledore had come out from behind the three children.

(A/N: I think two more chapters and it's done. :'-( I think I'm gonna cry!!!

**Amber**: Boy am I glad you found my story! Please don't hate me once you've finished editing the sequel…I won't tell you why you'll hate me, just please don't!!!! I'll explain later.

-Sigh- These last chapters will come very quickly. Very very quickly. I just hope you can keep up! ;-) )


	28. An Enlightening Interview

"_Grandis triclypeus_." Dumbledore waved his wand slightly at the three, and they found themselves in a huge, bronze shield. They could hear what was going on outside, but they couldn't see. After a few tense minutes of dueling, they heard Dumbledore summon the gold and silver lights back to him.

"Time for you to feel the pain of trying to kill something as eternal as this," he warned dangerously.

Five seconds later, a scream as inhumane as though from another world pierced through everything. It sounded as though Voldemort were under the Cruciatus Curse.

"Harry, how are you?" Elizabeth asked in a whisper. She remembered when Harry told her about Voldemort possessing him and making him feel the pain Voldemort had.

"I'm fine," Harry said, perplexed.

Suddenly, the shrieking stopped. "You think _that_ will kill me, Dumbledore? Love? Ha! You foolish—"

"I told you that there were worse things that death, Tom," Dumbledore interrupted.

"So those powers were not meant to kill me? Surely, if they could, you would've let them," Voldemort laughed.

Everything was silent as the shield vanished. Voldemort was gone, and so were the death eaters.

"I imagine you three are very confused. If you would follow me to my office, everything shall be explained there," Dumbledore requested. They nodded and walked after him towards the castle. They left a very weak little bird squawking in the sunrise.

Professor Dumbledore, Harry, Ron, and Elizabeth entered a quiet castle. The barrier was gone, and Professor McGonagall was waiting by the doors for them.

"Albus, all the other students are in their Common Room. They simply couldn't sleep. There was so much illumination that they simply could not fall asleep," McGonagall explained.

Dumbledore nodded. "It is all over for now, Minerva. The world, while very close to destruction, was kept safe by the most powerful thing in it. And now, I must go explain to Harry, Ron, and Elizabeth why they were involved."

Everyone walked up to his office.

"What is with these flowers?" Elizabeth asked as soon as they sat down.

"Did you know that suppressed love, that is real, crosses over to the next possible generation? In case you hadn't noticed, Harry, when you saw your family, Gloria was hopelessly in love with Jack Potter. They did not know that their love would cross over, but by those flowers, their emotions were retained until they were released. Thus the fire.

"Your grandfather, Harry, didn't notice this love until too late. He simply thought they were the closest of friends. He had already started raising your father. The flowers then had the power of the deepest love, romance combined with friendship. The flowers each represented something different. The daisy, light-hearted and friendly, was, of course, the flower that represented friendship. The green rose, dramatic and lovely, symbolized that romance your grandparents had for each other.

"And yet, no one realized this. Why? Because both of them were excellent at keeping secrets. Voldemort would have come after your family next, Elizabeth, had Harry not destroyed his body that Halloween. I knew you would be needed for the Annullius Perosus, so I had a talk with a friend of yours. A Jonathon Morgan."

At this, Elizabeth's eyes watered "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" she cursed. She started sobbing.

"Elizabeth?" Harry asked tentatively.

"I saw it! I saw it! And I did nothing! I let him die! Damn it! Damn it all to hell and back!" Harry pulled her into an awkward hug.

"You simply did not know of your slight psychic abilities, because they were restricted to deja-vu and the like. Now you know better, and you will not keep it from others, again," Dumbledore reassured. "Jonathon Morgan was a wizard. He did not want anyone to know this, because he was a leader in a religious youth group." Elizabeth wept louder. "He was your Secret Keeper. When he died, we thought you would still be safe. Then we found out, from Professor Snape, that you were traced, and that you would be kidnapped before last year ended. We knew then that you had to be somewhere safe. That was how the entire foreign exchange program came about, to bring you here. Of course, it would be odd if only one exchange student came, so we talked to Beauxbatons, in France, _La Escuela Magica_, in Spain, and _A Escola Da Magica_, in Brazil, so that they would send one of their students each over here, so that it did not look at all suspicious.

"We then had to make up your history. Your parents stayed who they were, so that you were a half-blood. Every important person in the Ministry knew how your father gave up magic so that he could be with your mother, who was a muggle. They knew you moved to Massachusetts, and went to a school for wizards and witches there."

"Those two lights sounded like they hurt Voldemort pretty bad," commented Ron.

"As well they should have. They represented the very emotion Voldemort will never feel. Love, devotion to someone else as an equal, friendship…So many things that might have changed who Voldemort was…is…if only he'd opened his heart to those things in his early life," Dumbledore explained.

"Sir, why could I see Elizabeth's memories when I touched her arm, that day?" Harry asked.

"Did you hold her rose before that occasion?" Dumbledore asked back.

Harry only nodded.

"Then you had a connection with her. That rose was set to go off when you touched it. It would connect the both of you on a very complicated level. The feelings of memories of one will have imprinted you both. Because her memories were being tampered with, your connection allowed you to go into her memories."

"While I was in her memories, there was a prediction. It mentioned two scars and the ultimate power. I think it was talking about tonight," Harry explained.

Dumbledore's face held a look of mild perplexity. "Perhaps it would be wise for you to use the Pensieve with your own thoughts, Harry," he suggested as he _Accio_'d the Pensieve to his desk.

"Think about the prediction and put your wand to your head. Concentrate very hard on it. Then slowly pull your wand away from your head, and place the tip into the liquid."

Harry did as was instructed and the liquid swirled and turned into a window. The four in the room gathered around the Pensieve to look at what was going on.

Elizabeth was sitting at a computer, reading a site called when her eyes slid out of focus.

"_THE ONE WITH THE SCAR SHALL BE YOUR FREEDOM, BUT ANOTHER PERSON, WITH ANOTHER SCAR, IS YOUR DEFEAT… BEWARE, FOR THE ANSWER SHALL BE LEAST EXPECTED. SHOULD YOU CHOSE WRONG; THE TROUBLE WILL ONLY CLIMB TO A NEW HEIGHT…THE DARK LORD WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH TO DESTROY THE WORLD. THE TWO WITH THE SCARS MUST COMBINE THEIR SYMBOLS OF THE ULTIMATE POWER TO DEFEAT THE DARK LORD, SHOULD THE WRONG SCAR BE USED…THE DARK LORD…MUST BE STOPPED…_" she said in a low voice. When she finished, her eyes went back to normal, and she shook her head. "I must be real tired," she said to herself. She got up and went to her bed to sleep.

"The ultimate power mentioned here," Dumbledore explained, "was love. The two with the scars are Harry and Elizabeth—"

"But Elizabeth doesn't have a scar, Professor," Ron interrupted.

"Elizabeth, if you could show us your left wrist," he requested. She did so with a wince, and on the inside was a small, white oval; a scar.

"You must have gotten it when Latronis' spirit failed to kill you," Harry figured.

"Correct, Harry." Dumbledore sighed at the question he knew was coming next. But it had to be postponed, as the door to his office was opened suddenly, making everyone jump except him.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir, the train's here," announced Argus Filch.


	29. New Discoveries

"Now, I believe that a reunion is waiting that is long overdue," said Dumbledore. "Harry, Ron, Elizabeth, please come with me." They walked to a thestral-driven carriage that would take them to the train station.

They got out and out of nowhere, "HARRY! RON!" was echoing throughout the station.

"HERMIONE!" the two boys yelled at the same time. The three of them crashed into one gigantic hug.

"I heard what happened!" Hermione exclaimed.

"It was horrible!" Ron commented.

"I thought you'd been killed!"

"We thought you were miserable!" said Harry.

They broke apart, and all three had smiles on their faces.

"I was," Hermione agreed, "I was with the Order in Australia. That's where their new base is, if you can believe that."

"That had to be cool, even if you were in hiding," Harry said.

"It was okay. Not like I was in immediate danger or anything, but I missed Hogwarts an awful lot." She paused and waved at Dumbledore, who beamed back. Then she turned to Elizabeth. "You must be Elizabeth Pentillo."

"Yeah," Elizabeth confirmed awkwardly, "that would be me." She shuffled her feet self-consciously. Watching Hermione and Harry embrace did weird things to her stomach, though someone would have to pay her big bucks to get her to admit it.

"It's so great to finally meet you," Hermione said, offering her hand.

"I've heard so much about you, I practically knew what you looked like," Elizabeth joked nervously as she shook hands.

"We must be getting back to school for breakfast. Come along, you four," Dumbledore interrupted.

Hermione and Elizabeth talked all the way to Hogwarts. They held differing opinions, especially where rules were concerned, but they agreed to let that slide so that they could be friends. Elizabeth, being an avid reader, started discussing the textbooks they had used that year, and that was when Harry and Ron began their own conversation, not wanting to hear _anything_ more about textbooks. Hermione couldn't help but think, '_Aw, look at the way Harry's looking at her. He must fancy her_.'

On the way back to the castle, Harry still had questions to ask. "What's going to happen to Cornelius Fudge?"

"He's going to be kicked out of office, and Madam Bones will take his place," Dumbledore explained.

"What happened to Mr. Lupin, Professor? I thought werewolves were sort of…immune to the whole killing curse thing?" Elizabeth brought up gently.

"There was silver on the tip of Wormtail's curse," Harry answered angrily. He was trying very hard to cover up his emotions until he was out of public.

"But how was he able to get silver on the tip of it?" Elizabeth asked.

"When Voldemort gave him that hand, it just happened to be his wand hand. Naturally, he could control the element in question, silver, and make it do strange things. That silver tip, alone, would not have killed Remus Lupin. It weakened him so much that the killing curse proved too much for him."

They were excused, and the four made their way to Gryffindor Tower.

The next night, Harry found trouble sleeping. He had no idea what to do with his anger. He felt like screaming at the top of his lungs. He was walking down to the Common Room when he heard someone singing.

'_How would you get by?  
__How would you be?  
__If I refused my destiny,_

_What if I give up?  
__What if I say no?  
__Just pack up my bags and go?_

_'Cause I can't fight the feeling that I'm alone,  
__No one's here for me.  
__Life's thrown me in the middle,  
__Of this chaos, and I just can't let it be.  
__I was born to suffer,  
__And maybe to die,  
__This is killing me inside,  
__And I won't lie._

_I'm scared beyond reason,  
__Lost beyond hope,  
__Everyone's dying around me and I just can't cope._

_I don't know how to deal,  
__With all of this,  
__And I just don't care, anymore,  
__I don't care if I sound callous._

_'Cause I can't fight the feeling that I'm alone,  
__No one's here for me.  
__Life's thrown me in the middle,  
__Of this chaos, and I just can't let it be.  
__I was born to suffer,  
__And maybe to die,  
__This is killing me inside,  
__And I won't lie._

_And I won't lie._

_No, I won't lie._'

Harry listened in a trance as the last of the singing faded out. When it ended he went all the way into the Common Room to find Elizabeth.

"Harry!" she exclaimed at seeing him. Her hand went to her chest in surprise. "I didn't think you were there."

"It seems that every time I can't sleep, neither can you," he replied with a small attempt at humor. He only smiled sadly.

"Did you like my song?" she asked quietly.

"It sounds like they're my words."

"Well…I kind of used that link Dumbledore said we had to write it. I got the feeling that you don't really know how to express yourself," she explained.

"I don't, really. Maybe listening to it, again, will help me. Could you sing it again?" he requested. Elizabeth complied. After a couple verses, Harry was singing softly along with her. Though he didn't sob, tears leaked out. Afterwards, Harry was feeling better enough to talk about it.

"I feel like my whole family's dead, now," he whispered.

"You've still got Ron and Hermione. You don't have to be blood to be family," Elizabeth reminded.

"What about you?"

"What about me?" Elizabeth repeated.

"Can't I consider you family?" Harry asked.

Elizabeth blushed. "If you want to. I don't want to impose or anything. We've only known each other for about a year and you have much closer ties to Ron and Hermione and everyone else…"

"I feel like I've known you forever, though," Harry commented. '_Wait, now, where did that come from?_' he mused.

"You got that feeling, too? God, this is creeping me out," Elizabeth said.

"That feeling's creepy to you?"

Elizabeth's eyes widened as she saw Harry misunderstand her…again. "No, no! Not the 'knew you forever,' bit. That's not what creeps me out. It's the fact that this all started when you touched my rose and I don't understand it…Well, you saw what happens when I don't understand things. Someone died because of it. But, this is just a little weird, that's all," she explained quickly.

They stayed down there all night. They talked about life, destruction, death, and rebirth.

The next morning, everyone was curious about why the Whomping Willow was gone. Ron, Harry, and Elizabeth were only too happy to tell the tale.

"Miss Pentillo, we have reason to believe that your learning of the animagus' art was not coincidental. That book you found in the library did not belong to Hogwarts. It was a plant by Professor Blade. He created the barrier so only you could go through. After that, the voice in the shadows was meant to kill you, not Professor Blade. Because you have mastered this art, and retained your life, I excuse you from the Transfiguration finals," explained Professor McGonagall. "Just don't tell Weasley, Potter, and Granger."

Harry's worst final was potions. He just barely skimmed by. He couldn't believe he'd done such a bad job. He got an O on his OWL test. During that same potions final, Elizabeth's liars' potion went completely wrong. The main ingredient was nightshade, and since Elizabeth didn't grow her nightshade correctly, the potion could have killed whoever might have consumed it.

Everyone passed their finals well, except for Ron, whose career was shifted. He had no idea what he wanted to do, yet, so he kept his all his classes, except for the Auror training.

Gryffindor had won the House Cup this year and their wall hangings were there to show it.

"What's that mean, again?" Elizabeth asked Harry.

"It means that we accumulated more points than the other three houses, this year," he explained.

"Ladies and gentlemen," started Professor Dumbledore, "This is the end of another year at Hogwarts. I hope your brain is not as filled with cobwebs and dust as it was when this year started.

"For those of you who will be our leaders and prefects next year, you're going to have very big shoes to fill. Let us hope that you have a normal year, for once."

After the feast, everyone went back to their dormitories to pack.

The next morning, Ron asked Elizabeth, "Are you staying, or not?"

"Of course!" she said with a lopsided grin.

They got on the train and joked around. At the last hour of the trip, Harry asked if he could talk to Elizabeth, privately. Ron and Hermione went into the next compartment.

"Elizabeth, I've never met someone who understood me as much as you—"

"Wait. Before you start thinking I'm super psychic or something, I have to confess something to you," she cut off.

"What?"

"I'm very good at acting."

"And that has what to do with anything?" Harry looked very bewildered.

"Remember the first day I met you. How I said that I didn't know you? Well…I did." She went into her handbag and pulled out a book and a magazine cutout.

"_Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_?" Harry read aloud. "I thought I was only briefly mentioned in a couple wizarding books."

"Someone knows you very well, Harry. Her name is J.K. Rowling, and she got inside your head. But anyway. The reason I showed you this, is to tell you that I cheated. I reread these over the year. That's how I've been able to know things word for word, like your 'saving people thing.' Don't begin to think that I'm some magical seer who can read your mind. Someone else has already done that."

Harry flipped through _The Prisoner of Azkaban_ and was surprised to find his exact words in it. "Do you have my seventh year?"

"It won't let me read it. Look." She took out the seventh book, and its cover was white, and the title was unknown. The pages were blank.

"I couldn't read the sixth one either until last night. And then it lied. It ended with you going to sleep, not knowing what the next year would bring. But, anyway, Harry, I've known you forever, really. Since I was about ten."

"Wait. This is all confusing me. How about we forget about these?" he put the books back into her handbag. "That's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

"I know. But you had to know before you made assumptions and think I was better than I am."

"Elizabeth, you are a much better person than you think. Look, you're honest. I bet any other girl wouldn't tell me, and they would lead me to believe that they really were the most understanding person in the world. I tried to tell you this in Hogsmeade, but I got cut off. Elizabeth, I really fancy you. I have no idea why, or how, but I do." Harry said it so fast, he had to breath when he was finished.

"You have no idea how big of a screw-up I am. It's because of me my Secret Keeper's dead. It's because of me we almost died. I just—"

"Shush. If I judged you on your flaws, what kind of friend would I be?" he asked. He grabbed her chin and pulled it up a bit to face him.

"Not a very good one." Elizabeth managed a small smile. Harry nodded and let go of her chin. Elizabeth took a deep breath. "I hope you know that I fancy you back," she replied.

Suddenly, the two of the broke out into wide smiles, and started laughing. When the laughing subsided, they locked eyes, and moved in for their first kiss. It would have been romantic, had the train not come to an abrupt stop that made them fall towards the end of their compartment. They could hear on the PA system, "Sorry about that. New conductor, you know. Had to stop the thing by magic since he wasn't paying attention."

Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Elizabeth said their goodbyes out of the station. Harry and Elizabeth departed as friends, but inside, deep in their hearts, they knew that something would happen by the end of the next year.

The four of them left, thinking basically the same thing. '_I sincerely _do_ hope we have a normal year, for once_.'


	30. The Outro Chapter

Outro For Harry Potter and The Foreign Exchange Students  
  
I hope you liked this story. (and this is only the beginning).  
  
"It's going to take me awhile,"   
the Funness tells you,   
"To come back with the next story,   
But trust me...I know exactly what to do."   
  
"I will be back,"   
she comments as she fades away,   
Gone, until she chooses to come again,   
To tell you her story another day. 


End file.
